Naruto Gaiden: The Will of Black Fire
by SynysterSketch
Summary: Set in the age of the 7th Hokage, a young girl enters Konoha under suspicious circumstances. Despite the world enjoying a time of peace under Naruto's guiding hand, malicious forces linger within the shadows. How will this child overcome her vices and embrace her infamous lineage? View the world through Akua's cursed eyes of hatred as she enters the fray of the History of Shinobi!
1. Troublesome Travels

**A/N: Hello everyone! This will be my first story ever written and published here on this website. I'm planning on posting around 50 chapters before cutting it off to begin its sequel. This chapter is quite short but I will try my best in the future to include more material. Do not worry, the story will update with a new chapter every 2 weeks!**

 **Although the main plot of this story is entirely original, it will co-exist with all canon material up until _Boruto: Naruto the Movie_. This means the events of this story occur "behind the scenes" of what Kishimoto has shown us post chapter 699 of the manga. That being said, my specific plot will take precedence which follows the life of new OC I've created. Along with this person, several other OC's will be included. Anyway, there will be a lot of effort going into this. My friends are helping me out with plot and editing and we're really working hard to deliver the community some quality content.**

 **TO NEW READERS: I encourage you to push through the prologue even though it has little to do with the actual protagonist as of yet since it introduces one of the pivotal, new OC's and his journey to the now bisected Moon. Of course, there's a certain individual there waiting for him! **

**This first chapter may be slow due to exposition, but the story as a whole is guaranteed to be exciting and action-packed, with a touch of love and tragedy. So, sit back, enjoy the ride and thanks for viewing!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own the original series of Naruto, nor do I own its characters.**

 **Prologue**

The shallow steps of a feeble old man traced their way through the soil of the deep forest. His tarnished, hooded cloak dragged behind him. Underneath he held onto a collection of mysterious texts as well as carrying a single strapped bag over his hunchback. Around his neck was a golden drake pendant. His long greybeard danced in the wind and strands of his messy hair hung in his eyes. Hundreds of years of stress and strife were etched into his face. It seemed as though he walked endlessly and aimlessly along a barren dirt path. Eventually his journey would bring him to the end of his search. The slow gait of his sandals clicking their way across the cool forest floor came to an end as he passed through a thick layer of trees, the sight of clear ground trailing up to a sheer rock wall piercing into the heavens. To the normal eye, this man's trip had come to an end; circumvented by nature itself. For this man's eyes, though, he saw only a minor speedbump. Powerful barrier ninjutsu stood in his way. Clearly, someone was trying to hide something. However, he was not phased. The man placed his elderly left hand along the the barrier. His chakra spiked, a surprisingly potent display for a man his age, and wreathed itself across the structure. The defensive chakra supporting the barrier dissipated instantly, and the blockade collapsed. Beneath it was a pitch black cave entrance that appeared to dig into the earth. The old man continued on his path, plodding into an endless darkness. He lifted his left index finger and ignited a small flame to light his way. But there was nothing along the walls, just pure stone, stalagmite and stalactite. The reddish illumination made the path resemble a stairway to hell. Perhaps that was not too far off from where he was headed.

At the end of cave was a turquoise spring of water. There was nothing else. "Another dead end," he sighed in a patchy, senile voice. The man kneel by the pool in yet another defeat to quench his thirst. But when he tried to collect the water, he felt odd. His hands weren't wet. This amazed him. Why was this so? The water seamlessly dripped from his palm without leaving a trace of itself. In order to further test this discovery, he dipped part of his cloak. Once again, the water was not absorbed. It left the cloak as dry as desert sand. This water, upon a third observation, produced it's own light? Especially in such a dark cave, he no longer needed his finger torch. He came the conclusion that this water was probably not safe to drink. The man grew curious. " _Maybe this is another obstacle_ ," he thought. He was determined once again, his journey was not over just yet.

Agile for his age, the man dove into the aqueous substance. Sifting through the light liquid, the man was approaching an opening. The pool had no floor in which it ended. Soon, the man no longer needed to hold his breath, he'd emerged on the other end of the underwater cave into what seemed to be a separate plane. Intangible orbs inhabited this existence. There was no up, down, left or right. As he passed the orbs he could see fragments of his past reflect in them. Hidden memories that he himself might have forgotten about his childhood. Now he was reliving them, watching as a spectator. These were the orbs he took the time to focus on. One for instance, revealed the earliest memory he had with his parents, sitting in their decrepit, primitive home. The next orb was even further in time. Blood splattered across the glass like surface as he entered the memory. His parents were dead on the floor. Slaughtered by a group of ninja. He managed to escape, but his home was leveled. The burning embers of his home exhaled black smoke into the sky. The man noticed the men that departed the property. A red and white fan-like crest were embedded into the backs of their clothing. Flames engulfed the memory. His aimless wandering led to him to a later point in his life. He was walking as a young teen with a woman around his age. They appear to be intimate with one another. He was showing her a book with a draconic insignia upon it. However, this moment was short lived. He was attacked by two young children, both wearing the same crest on their backs. The woman cut down, and himself, surprisingly overpowered by the two skilled attackers. The book was stolen and his lover bled out on the floor. His young self would never forget the look in the child's eyes that struck her. Relentlessness. He held the woman as she died in his arms. She entrusted an object to him before her body became lifeless. The old man found himself clutching the drake pendant around his neck. The few orbs revealed his pursuit for similar books and the search for the child he could not forgive. One of them revealed a rather significant event. The old man's youthful self witnessed a confrontation by a river. The boy he had been following was with the same child that accompanied him as well as what appeared to be an older man. On the other end was another young, dark haired boy, an older man and a white haired child. Eventually they would depart the scene, but not before the adolescent witnessed an awakening in his enemy's eyes. It's crimson hue burned through his soul. The orbs revealed even more of his life during this period of turmoil. His first confrontation with the boy, who was now the leader of his clan, ended in failure. He barely escaped with his life. At this point the old man remembered this was when he began his disappearance from history. He searched secretly for lost texts, witnessed the bouts between two eternal rivals and the foundation of the first shinobi village. All of the recollection disgusted him. He witnessed himself grow old, witnessed the defeat of his nemesis, and the ascension of his rival. He witnessed the growth of a village, and several others. He witnessed four great shinobi wars, the death, destruction and loss that came from them. Now here he was.

There was a lack of air. It was as if he had just painfully awoken from a dream, shifting around in a body of water. He surfaced only to find himself no long in the depths of a cave, but in a completely different landscape. The old man creeped out of the water, carefully observing his surroundings. His gazed fixed on the sky. What was this spectacle? The blue sky was split all the way down to the horizon, revealing the empty darkness that was present during the night. " _Where could I be.._ ," he thought. He decided to get closer to the origin of the split in the sky. After several hours of walking, he came across an enormous gorge that split cleanly down the land. It was right underneath the split in the sky. The gorge upon second viewing was bottomless from his position. Gray rocks and dust adorned the edges of the grand chasm. The man reached for one with his wrinkled hand, observing it closely. It wasn't anything he'd seen on earth before. He looked to the sky again. At that moment, a similar stone crashed into the ground from the sky. "I see. I must be in the right place then," he said as took he a long leap over the chasm that seemed to split the world down the middle.

The old man during his exploration discovered the remains of a floating palace. Within it was a vast, dimlit library of books and text that could not be found anywhere on earth. He'd spent his entire life reading after all. This was what he was looking for. There were thousands of books on the drake topic. However, he was most interested with the ones titled " _Ethuriel_ ". All of these he skimmed, hundreds upon hundreds. He sat for hours. It'd been at least a day he'd gone without any sustenance. But knowledge was his diet now. The old man weakly dropped the bag he carried and withdrew a scroll. Its contents were a spacetime seal that allowed him to store all of the books he wanted for further notice. During his pilfering, he came across a decrepit wooden desk. Underneath one of the drawers were a collection of text titled " _Ōtsutsuki Clan_ ". There were several volumes. Perhaps they were misplaced. Lastly, the most interesting of his discoveries was a text titled " _The Journal of Hamura Ōtsutsuki_ ". The old man was fascinated, intrigued by his priceless discoveries. But he was interrupted. The paced footsteps of an individual approached from the hall. From the shadows of the library emerged a pale-skinned, lavender eyed man with short, curly hair. His black robes were just as tattered as the old man's clothing. "You… how did you find this place," he questioned as the veins around his eyes bulged. His expression intensified as he examined the old man's chakra. The knowledge seeking elder rose from his position and tucked the journal away. The young man spoke again, having recognized a familiar chakra type, "I never imagined I'd come across a Ryūkōtetsu. You do not belong here. And that book. It is not yours. Return anything you've taken and leave at once." The old man clenched his fist as the young man spoke once more, "Or else."

Those were the last words Toneri Ōtsutsuki spoke before the old man blitzed him with an unexpected display of speed and vigor. Looks sure did deceive has he caught the old man's striking fist. A thunderous shockwave erupted from their contact, sending papers flying across the room and books exploding against the wall. Dated parchment floated in the air as Toneri and the Ryūkōtetsu exchanged blows. Toneri could see how powerful this man's chakra actually was with his byakugan, eyes he'd salvaged from the destroyed Tenseigan altar. Thus, he aimed to immobilize him by attacking his chakra points. The man was quick, agile for his age, but Toneri outmaneuvered him. Two. Four. Six. Eight. Ten. All the way to 32, Toneri's strikes crushed the old man's frail body. His final blow struck the old man in his chest and sent him across the library into a shelf of books. The Ryūkōtetsu sat at the foot of the shelf collecting himself. His limbs were numb from the gentle fist. Blood painted the path along the shatter shelves in which he slid down. Wooden splinters were stuck in his dismembered back. The man wiped blood away from his mouth as Toneri approached. He was a scarlet mess, and Toneri felt unpleasant beating up on a defenseless old man. But it was necessary. Toneri examined his target. His chakra was slowly fading and his movements had ceased. "This fight is over," he proclaimed. A blur of movement cut off Toneri's next words, a massive corroding hole gaped in his body before he collapsed to the floor only a moment later. His lavender eyes were now bloodshot. What had just hit him?! Toneri's vision blurred and his breathing became irregular. A shadow loomed over him. It was the Ryūkōtetsu. "It'd be wise not to underestimate people," the old man scolded, "Youngsters like you never learn!" Toneri experienced an excruciating pain, as if every cell in his body was being torn apart. The blood on the shelf lifted from rest, spiraling into the old man's left hand and morphed itself into a jagged long spear. Toneri looked upwards, focusing his blurred vision on the point of the spear. The old man was in the middle of his motion. "Die," the elder muttered. And the walls splattered with a black crimson.

The old Ryūkōtetsu exited the cave entrance, the same one he'd entered. As he stepped into fresh oxygen, his tarnished cloak became wet with droplets. He looked up to see the beginnings of overcast. Drizzles fell from the heavens and thunder rolled in the clouds. An ominous atmosphere for a quite mysterious man. As he hobbled away as feebly as ever, lightning erupted, born from stormy skies. Anyone in the dark forest at that moment could see the devilish grin on his brilliant face, cascaded by his bloodstained hood.

* * *

Chapter 1: Troublesome Travels

Heavy rain droplets fell from the sky as the young girl gazed out the window, beating against the outer metallic hull of the gray shuttle train she was aboard. The outside world looked like a blur from where she sat, just a mix of the brown bark and emerald leaves from the massive deciduous trees that defined a majority of the landscape. Their roots bore into the grass-knitt earth, holding their trunks firm as powerful gales forced branches to sway violently. Each tree reached to scrap the heavens, creating a contiguous canopy of green foliage that concealed the forest's contents. There were several scattered openings that revealed the intensity of the elements along with the drab overcast shrouding any sunlight. Great rivers cut through the land in numerous tributaries, yet there were no signs of wildlife near their banks. They took shelter from Mother Nature's gentle chaos. Bright blue, contrary to the scenery, flashed veins of light and illuminated the dull atmosphere. It was immediately followed by a crackling roar that interrupted the clattering of the train against the rails, causing the girl to jolt from her position frightened by the spectacle. She had never heard something so loud before. "Calm down," a voice uttered just after the thunder ceased, "it's just a little lightning, Akua."

The woman sitting across from Akua kept her eyes focused on the book that rested on the table in between them. She held it open with her right hand, fingers spread unevenly across the pages. The rest of her arm hung loosely by her side while the left was propped upon the table, supporting her head which was tilted towards the window. Her hand was hidden underneath her straight crimson hair, which extended down past her shoulders. Akua's attention shifted to her, noticing the way she tucked her glasses comfortably on the bridge of her nose. The book must have been interesting, for her scarlet eyes jotted from left to right, reading line after line at a rather swift pace. "What are you reading?" Akua asked politely. She waited for a response but her mother remained silent, not once acknowledging her question. It was as if Akua wasn't sitting across from her. Akua's gaze shifted from her mother's eyes to the book and back until she was finally noticed.

Her mother caught her eyes for a moment before speaking, "What is it?"

"I asked what you were reading," Akua replied in a fragile voice.

"None of your business," she answered in a nasty tone. The woman's response was immediate and she delved back into her reading. It was clear that she would rather be somewhere else, but this was her normal behavior. Akua had gotten used to this misfortune. She sighed and turned to peer through the window once more. She became lost in her thoughts, confused as to why she was treated like this by her own mother ever since she could remember. She hadn't done anything disagreeable or worthy of resentment, yet her mother was often indifferent towards her. Akua would be scolded for miniscule actions. These punishments were accepted without any form of resistance, as she thought whatever her mother did to her had reason behind it. Her reflection was present in the glass. " _Maybe it's because I don't look like her,"_ she thought. Droplets scattered across the pane while she examined herself. She wore a white, sleeveless collared shirt with a small black tie, black shorts and black sandals. As for her features, Akua was correct. She did not resemble her mother at all other than the shape of her face, nose and eyes. Akua's face was rounder due to her age. Her hair was sleek and plentiful, extending down to the nape of her neck. Unlike her mother's red hair, hers was onyx with wispy bangs across her forehead. Akua's eyes on the other hand were the most distinct aspect of her physical appearance. She was blessed with the rare Alexandria's Genesis, considered by most to be a harmless genetic mutation, which granted her stunning violet irises. Despite how incredible they were, she disliked them. They made her stand out compared to other people and garnered unpleasant attention. " _That can't be it_ ," she sighed.

Lightning continued to paint the sky along the horizon and the thunder no longer startled Akua. In fact, she was now fascinated by its collective beauty. Her negative thoughts were quelled by the sound of the storm. It was soothing. The sound of paper being clipped between the tinkering of a metal mechanism were heard moments after. One of the attendants was making his way through the aisle, collecting tickets and examining passport information. They were approaching one of the Land of Fire's immigration checkpoints. Therefore, they needed to have their documentation ready in order to transfer onto another train. From there, they were headed towards the Village Dancing in the Leaves, Konohagakure. Akua didn't agree entirely to this change of location, one of the main reasons being that her twin brother, Senshi, had not accompanied them. Why he was left behind, she would ask herself. They didn't even exchange goodbyes. It was odd, but she did not question her mother's decision. Akua probably wouldn't have received an answer anyways.

"Good morning, good morning!" the attendant said enthusiastically.

"Good morning," Akua greeted the man warmly. He nodded towards the young girl, shifted his attention to the silent red haired woman. The man had a barcode scanner in his right hand and his silver hole-punch was hooked on his belt.

"May I have your itinerary and passports, please?" He held out his palm, waiting to receive what he had requested. It took a moment for the woman to acknowledge his presence, however still significantly shorter than how long it took to answer Akua.

"Here you are," she reached into the tan satchel that sat beside her and withdrew a pair of green passports and white boarding tickets, handing them to the attendant. He meticulously looked at the thin pieces of paper and booklets that she handed him, nodding once more.

"Your name, please?"

"Uzumaki Karin." Akua watched their interaction. Karin's facial expression had not changed in the slightest.

"And this must be your daughter, I'm assuming?" The attendant typed the hiragana characters of her name into his scanner.

"Yes," there was a pause, "she is."

There was a beep and the barcodes on both tickets were scanned. He rested the scanner on the table for a moment and drew his hole-punch, clicking twice through each piece of paper. Karin accepted the tickets as he reopened their passports, flipping to a certain page in each and removing a small ink stamper that resembled a stapler from his pocket. The page slid between the stamper before he applied pressure, imprinting red ink upon it. He repeated this with the other passport before returning them and collecting his scanner. "Have a nice day," he said before going on about his business.

Akua remained speechless for the remainder of the ride, beginning to observe the other passengers. Within the car sat older men and women of various backgrounds, but what they all shared was the despair that was etched into their faces. She hadn't realized it before, but the entire car was deafeningly quiet. Most of these individuals were on the train when she boarded, so it was difficult to determine where they originated. No one seemed to be enjoying themselves. Even though she was desperate for someone to talk to, Akua wasn't fond of the gloomy vibes she was receiving from them. " _I want off this train…_ " she thought to herself.

Frustration was settling in but soon disappeared after the conductor voiced himself through the built-in intercom, "Attention!" The speaker made him sound raspy, "We will be approaching Chiba Station momentarily! This will be the final destination for this locomotive! Please be sure to check your overhead luggage compartments for your personal belongings!"

Karin immediately began to gather their possessions, the first to react to the conductor's instructions. They didn't have much with them. Karin brought with her the satchel that she had sitting beside her along with a small black duffle bag on the floor. Akua had a tarnished gray backpack proportionate to her young stature. The main zipper that arced over the top of the bag was open, and a fuzzy beige teddy bear hung out. One of its eyes was missing, but Akua did not seem to care. She removed him from her bag and zipped it shut. The bear sat in her lap facing her while she waited.

"Approximate arrival time, ten minutes!"

Akua sighed a breath of relief, but it was too soon. They were still nowhere near their destination. Konoha was roughly 4000 miles away from their current location. If they took another train like this, it would take nearly another day to arrive. Akua took a quick glance out of the window once more, holding her bear close to her. The storm was still raging on, and a nasty gust of wind collided into the railed vehicle. Most of the shock was absorbed, but it still rocked several of the cars, which caused the lights to flicker. Many of the passengers in the car, including Akua herself, were startled. After the hysteria, Akua realized the forest began to thin as they closed the distance to Chiba. Grassy woodland steadily merged into a rocky terrain and within a few moments, darkness.

The train disappeared into the depths of a man made tunnel carved into a hillside. The voice of the growling weather was suppressed as they entered. All that could be heard was the steaming mechanisms of the engine and the chugging of tracks. The railway passage was lit by industrial fluorescence placed along the walls. Akua watched as they zoomed past her eyes. The conductor blared the horn several times; they were near their destination. Akua could tell that they were decelerating steadily and after a few moments the brakes squealed against the wheels of the cars. It was a horrid sound. A separate source of dim light became visible as the train emerged from the pass. The brilliance of the city of Chiba came into view underneath the gray rainy clouds. At its core towered an edo style castle that was distinguishable due to the more modern buildings that surrounded it. At last, the front car came to a stop. Ding! Red linear lights lit up along the frames of the doors as they slid open. "Welcome to Hi no kuni, the Land of Fire. We've arrived at Chiba Railway Station. Once again, this is the last stop. All must exit, thank you."

Chiba Railway Station, where the train halted, was a wide, two story travel complex located on the outskirts of the city. Being a primary immigration checkpoint of individuals from the northwest, it was subject to the departure and arrival of over one hundred rides each day. Such business required a significant amount of land that was not available within the town itself. Karin fetched the umbrella she stored within her satchel, allowing it to expand outwards as she stepped out onto the boarding platform. Akua followed close behind with her own umbrella. Both of them were shielded from the pouring rain that nearly obscured sight of the area around them. Each step they took splashed at the layer of water on the ground, soaking their open toed sandals. Shinobi were stationed around the bay and along the perimeter of the main building they approached. Each of them wore a Konoha forehead protector, and were cloaked by black raincoats with Chiba written along the left chest in kanji. As expected, this station was heavily guarded. Akua paid close attention to the ninja and their forehead protectors, recognizing their origin. One of the female guards caught her gaze, startling the little girl. She quickly broke her post and waved with a comforting smile. Akua felt welcomed. That, however, was short lived.

* * *

Karin had her belongings gathered before the train screeched to a complete stop. She took a look around their car. There were several individuals that still had not moved an inch since the conductor announced the arrival time. There were no signs of any belongings that they possessed. She counted ten of them, males, and what was even more suspicious were the cloaks they wore. Each person had a different color cloak and one of them was hooded. They sat scattered along the car minding their own business. Finally, the train pulled up and passengers began to rise from their seats. The aisle became crowded with people as they waited for the doors to open. Karin noticed that the hooded person had disappeared all together. It was an odd spectacle. Maybe she was just seeing things, but her instincts told her otherwise. She reached into her satchel after seeing the rain outside and withdrew an umbrella. Her daughter quickly followed suit, accompanying her to the door before it opened to Chiba Station.

Karin sensed a malicious chakra steadily approaching them as they exited the train. " _So they were following me after all_ ," she thought to herself. The intent to kill cloud clearly be felt, but why hadn't the guards done anything yet? Perhaps the culprit couldn't be seen, thus Karin concluded it was the one whom disappeared before she and Akua left the train. Her walking pace slowed. She reached into her satchel once more, grasping the handle of a concealed kunai. Her hand trembled within the bag. There were several guards surrounding this loading bay and the door was a few meters away from them. They would surely apprehend her if she did anything sudden. But the chakra was approaching, and they weren't able to sense it. Something had to be done. Now.

Karin stepped around to her right, the blade of her kunai slashing two feet above Akua's head in a straight line across seemingly nothing. The guards, whom were confused at the action, instantly took notice and stood with caution. Akua trembled with her tiny umbrella in her left hand and teddy bear hugged in her right, staring wide eyed at her mother. A line of blood red liquid was drawn by the knife and splattered onto Akua's umbrella. Karin reached around to grab up a palm full of Akua's clothing and pulled her to safety as the bulky body of a six foot male became visible. He was stunned by the deep gash that extended along his chest. His arms were reaching out, hovering over Akua's previous position with a kunai of his own held in his left hand. "Gah! Damn...y-you," he managed to cry out before collapsing onto his back in the pelting rain.

The kunai he held clanked against the floor and sat in a growing pool of his blood. Three of the guards rushed over to Karin, demanding that she disarm and explain herself. They were braced with weapons of their own pointed at her. However, ten other figures who were passengers on the train dashed towards them. "She's discovered us! Get the redhead bitch! Now!" One of them yelled from the head of the rush. The three guards stood in their way while the rest of the platoon stationed in the area mobilized.

"CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE! Unidentified hostiles approaching!" shouted one of the leaf ninja. The scene broke down into chaos.

Each attacker wore a similar dark green long sleeved shirt underneath a black flak jacket with matching black pants. All had a different color cloak as Karin had already deduced. None of them, except for the man dead on the ground, wore a forehead protector despite being dressed like shinobi. Karin peered down at the one she had killed and noticed a Kusagakure insignia imprinted in the metal. She knew who her attackers were. The other passengers were being brought away from the battle by other shinobi and the attackers were held at bay, horribly outnumbered but skilled enough to fight back. Within the midst of the parrying steel, Karin grabbed her daughter's hand and slipped away. The leaf ninja were too occupied to notice them.

Karin discarded her umbrella and rushed into the building dripping in rain water. Her hair was drenched and matted to her face. Akua dropped her bloodstained umbrella outside of the door as Karin dragged her in. She watched her mother wiped her glasses clean while they ran through the corridor. However, their passage was blocked. "Ma'am," a new kunoichi, one who had not seen what she did began to speak, "Do you have anything to do with this situation right now?" She was well aware of what transpired in regards to the sudden assault on the station.

"No," Karin lied, "Just get me through to immigration." She could tell the woman was reluctant to believe her. "Look, I'm just trying to get my little girl to safety, now do your job, escort me." Her tone was stern and convincing nonetheless.

The woman sighed, "Alright, follow me."

Karin and Akua arrived at the immigration center. On their way, an alert message was broadcasted throughout the building, "Attention! Track 23, gate number seven has been shut down. Stay away from the area, I repeat, all passengers stay away from the area." They avoided mentioning the attack that occurred, for it would cause mass panic among the civilians. The kunoichi escorted them to one of the many immigration desks. Karin eagerly presented the passports and tickets to the elderly woman who sat before her without request, "Here."

The lady was offended by her impatience. She took the passports as slowly as possible, examining their contents, then glanced at their tickets. "So...you're both from the Hidden Grass Villie are ya?" Her voice was thin and guttural. Karin couldn't bear with her much longer.

"Yes we are. Now will you hurry the hell up?" She slammed her fist on the desk, but the old woman wasn't threatened by her. That was until their Kunoichi guide gave her a stern glare. The old lady immediately, out of fear, went through her passport, stamped it once, and then stamped Akua's. They were cleared to go. Karin collected the passports while the lady disposed of their old tickets and pushed through the gate next and past the desk, "Oblivious idiot."

* * *

Akua had to run to catch up to her. "Mom...thanks for saving me there." She waited but received no response. Akua hung her head for a moment at the failed attempt of conversation. She wasn't traumatized by what happened, only confused as to why it did. Once again, she concluded she could receive no answer from the only person who seemed to know what was going on. The kunoichi no longer accompanied them due to being summoned back to the track by her superior. She would soon discover who she had just escorted.

The two approached a ticket booth within the heart of the complex. It was one enormous, circular congregation area. Along the perimeter were various restaurants along with consumer goods stores. Four gigantic television monitors hung from the ceiling, each pointed toward one of the four evenly spaced main hallways. Hundreds of people crowded the place, everyone seeming to mind their own business as they walked. Akua couldn't see over anyone and found it difficult to keep track of her mother. "Akua," she called to her and held up two new tickets, "let's go." Karin threw her duffle bag strap over the opposite shoulder of the satchel strap. Her hand was held out to her daughter. Akua hesitated but eventually took her hand.

"Are we going to Konoha now?" Karin nodded as she led her to their designated track. Conveniently, it was located on the same floor. The train was waiting for them and from the looks of it, it was a bullet train. Akua was astonished. This would be her first time to ever ride one of the newer, faster train models. The design of the hull was smooth, fashioned with curves at all edges and polished chrome paint. The japanese characters for 'Konohagakure no Sato' were printed over the hood. The Konoha insignia was also printed over each sliding door. Akua couldn't close her mouth when she stepped in the first passenger car. Its elegance had almost made her forget about what happened. Her mother wasn't very excited nor did she glance at the train much. All she had asked for at the booth was the fastest way to get to Konoha, and here it was. Before stepping into the train with Akua, she tilted her head around then up. She watched the hallway they came through behind them. She couldn't sense the chakra of the ninja that attacked. There also hadn't been any warning that they infiltrated the building. " _They must've been dealt with, perfect_."

The announcer for the track spoke with a disembodied voice, "Last call for the 10 train! Non-stop express service to Konohagakure! Doors will be closing in three minutes!"

Passengers began to file in. Akua was already prancing up and down the aisle of the car when Karin finally entered and took a seat. She halted and sat across from her mother, removing her bag and placing it on the floor next to her feet. Unlike the hard plastic seats of the shuttle train, these were cushioned and comfortable. Akua's rear practically sunk into the material as she leaned into it. Karin dropped her luggage on her wide booth seat and rolled her damp, crimson hair together to drain it of water. Ding! The doors of the train closed simultaneously and the front car jolted into acceleration. "Please fasten your seat belts," the conductor chimed, "we will be departing from Chiba Railway Station shortly. Our destination is Konoha International Train Station. Travel time will be approximately 14 hours and 33 minutes. Meals and drinks will be provided throughout the duration of the trip. As your conductor, I hope you're all able to relax and enjoy the ride, thank you."

Karin sighed a breath of relief as she tightened her seatbelt across her body, leaning back into her seat. Akua followed her actions and rested her teddy in her lap. Within a few moments the train bolted across the track, zooming out of Chiba and through the wilderness towards Konoha, where a whole new world of adventure awaited her.


	2. Konoha

**Ch.2 Konoha**

Akua fell asleep shortly after the bullet train left the station. She rested for nearly eleven hours out of the fourteen and a half hour ride before she started to regain consciousness. Her eyelids slowly opened to the sight of her lightly snoring mother. The young girl sat up straight, removing her head from the window. A yawn escaped her tiny mouth while she stretched her arms and quickly turned to look outside the window. The thunderstorm began to calm, signified by the clearing of heavy clouds and the powerful rays of the sun shining down.

The train passed through the green forestry of the Land of Fire. Each tree possessed a broad main stem in which the colors varied from oaken brown to mahogany. The branches were plentiful, stretching to knit against neighboring trees and strong enough to support the weight of shinobi. The land zoomed past her eyes. Only the sky seemed to be standing still. The train cruised smoothly at 200 mph after all. It was as if they were levitating. In the far distance was a stretch of mountain range. Beneath them stood the colossal grizzly bears who inhabited them. There was not much to see, however.

One can only stare out of a window for so long before they grow tired of it. Despite being awake for only ten minutes, she was already extremely bored. It was then that she became aware of the other passengers within the car. She listened in on their chatter, searching for something interesting in their conversations. However, only a handful of people were actually speaking. The worst part was the fact that they were talking about her mother, Karin.

"Did you hear what happened back at Chiba?" The raspy voice of a male made its way to Akua's ears. He intended to whisper but failed to do so.

"Yea, I saw the entire thing go down y'see," another man claimed triumphantly. He sounded much younger than the other gentleman.

"Don't buy that bullshit about the track being shut down. It was actually attacked by ninja. You see them over there?" The young man gestured towards Akua and Karin's row of seats, two rows in front of theirs on the other side. Akua saw the older man try to disguise the turning of his head to look behind him. He was able to see her and part of a sleeping Karin. The violet eyed girl scowled at him and his eyes immediately reeled back around.

"Y-yea...what about them..?" He seemed quite startled, hunched over with his forearms resting on the table in between him and the young man.

"Well," the youth started, "that redhead woman over there, I don't know if you can see her, but I saw her gut some guy with a kunai...and then a bunch of ninja came running after her. I don't even know why they let her crazy ass on the train. Makes me feel unsafe and what not." The older man rose an eyebrow at him.

"You can't be serious." Akua observed them from the corner of her eye. She clenched the arms of the chair tightly because of the way they spoke about her mother.

"I'm positive," reassured the young man, "the bitch killed him in cold blood." Her teeth were grinding. She knew it was self defense, but their ignorance enraged her. Even though she sat two rows from him, the young man could feel her unpleasant presence. Akua never heard him speak again for the rest of the ride.

The eyelids of a crimson-haired Uzumaki woman parted. Akua witnessed her stir to consciousness. Karin's glasses were misplaced, stuck in the bend of her left elbow when her head lifted. It was rare for Akua to see her mother without her glasses. As stunning as she was with them on, the girl sat in awe. The lenses masked the true beauty of the scarlet eyes and long, black lashes she possessed. Strands of red fell into her face as she rubbed her right eye with the adjacent hand. During her movement, the glasses fell to the floor. Her vision was blurry without them.

"A-Akua..where are my glasses!" she panicked. She felt around the table, squinting.

"Ah! You dropped them! Here, I'll get them for you, mom." She ducked underneath the table to retrieve the eye-wear and handed them to her mother with urgency. Karin accepted them, immediately returning them to a comfortable position on the bridge of her nose.

"You're very pretty mom…" Akua looked away from her trying not to make eye contact. She was afraid of how she might react. The truth was that Karin had not heard someone say that to her in ages, not since… before her daughter was born. It caught her off guard. Those words alone made her blush.

"… Thank you…" replied the startled woman. Karin quickly snapped out of her daze however, checking her satchel and duffle bag for their contents. She took a peek through the window as well. There wasn't much to see other than the endless forest. "Have they announced how close we were, yet?" she asked briskly.

Akua shook her head with her mouth open in shock. She had actually acknowledged her compliment. The past 24 hours where the most her mother had talked to her all month, and that month was almost over.

The young girl seemed antsy to arrive. A mixture of emotions were swirling within her body along with twice as many questions. She shut her eyes to gather her thoughts before speaking then opened them once she had done so. She took a shaky deep breath. "Hey, can you...fill me in on what's going on? You haven't said anything to me or answered any of my questions… unless it helped you in some way." Karin's silence was annoying. Akua's fist clenched. "Why are we going to Konoha? Why did we leave him… and why were we atta﹘!" Karin's right hand clamped around her mouth.

"Shut up will you." The little girl mumbled to silence before Karin released her. She stared into the pair of violet pools the child had. "Fine, alright," she sighed, "I'll tell you." Akua's expression finally relaxed. Her mother looked around at the other passengers minding their own business, then turned back. "We're going to Konoha because…"﹘The image of one person kept dancing in her mind. She held her head down in disgust﹘"…because we need to get away, to be safe."

Akua's face straightened. "Safe from what?"

"The ninja who attacked us," retorted Karin.

"Why are we being attacked?"

"I stole something that belonged to Kusagakure, and they want it back." Akua froze with her bottom lip stiffened up and wide eyed. She was in the presence of a criminal.

"Then why don't you give it back!" Her voice was softly hushed, but there was a clear emphasis of tone.

Karin turned away from her and stared out the window again, leaning up to sit straight against her seat and folded her arms, "Because I need it."

"For what?"

"That's none of your business," she snapped back.

"Well, then why didn't you leave me like him! You dragged me all the way out here, it has to be my business!" Karin's head swung around, glaring irately at her bold daughter. Akua perceived that her words dealt a logical blow. Trembling tears collected in her ducts and spread across her eyelids. Her lip quivered attempting to hold them back. "Why isn't he with us…" Karin turned away towards the window again.

"He's not here because… you're all I could bring. All of this started for you while you were asleep. I had to carry you, that bag you have, my bags and run from pursuers at the same time. I had a choice and I chose to take what I could. Your room just happened to be the closest and I didn't have time to search the entire dorm for him." She didn't see but she knew the look on her daughter's face by the sound of her gasp, followed by several drops of liquid onto the table. Akua couldn't stop herself from shaking. Tears were streaming down her cheeks while she hung her head. She sniffled to keep her nose from running a muck. "I actually don't know if he's alive or not. I know if I stayed any longer, I would be dead. And you would be dead."

Akua couldn't take much more. She rushed from her seat into the aisle, turning left and dashing away into the bathroom. The door slammed shut behind her.

Akua sat on the toilet seat with her face in her palms. Karin's voice kept replaying in her head. She'd gotten what she wanted, an answer. _Is that really true?_ Her distress was unbearable and her breathing was irregular. _So this is just because she had to steal that stupid thing, whatever it is she stole? And… if your room was closer, she would have probably left with you instead of me. And all this time I thought you were safe._ Akua's crying started to cease. She pulled a section of tissue paper away to blow her nose. _Now we're going to be living all comfy in Konoha… whatever that means anymore._ Her nose was still a snotty mess mixed with tear water. The whites of her eyes were nearly bloodshot and her face was a bright red. After several minutes of recollection, Akua sat upright. "Hmph. Crying won't do me any good."

Karin watched as her daughter calmly returned, and sat in the seat across from her. The child's eyes were stolid and the skin below them was tender, dehydrated from the salt of tear water. "Look," Karin started again, "I'm… I'm sorry. I just couldn't go back for him. I wish you could understand, and you probably won't for a long time. But we're here and we've been given a chance﹘"

"You're right," Akua interrupted, "we've been given a chance, and I'm going to use it. I'm going to find him. Even if you won't go back to look for him, I will gain the strength and I will find my brother." Determination was sewn into her eyes. Karin didn't need her glasses to see that. She let out a long sigh and sat back in her seat.

After an hour of deafening silence, the tree leaves began to reveal a sight for sore eyes. The signature trademark of Konoha became visible in mottled patches as they passed; the Hokage Stone Monument. Akua couldn't take her eyes off of it. Never before had she seen something so magnificently crafted in her young life. One. Two. Three heads counted. All male. The train went on a slight incline that eventually took them into the canopy of leaves before leveling off. As green cleared away, the enormous village could be seen from their angle. Guarded by towering walls, this bustling settlement was truly hidden by the leaves. Everything except the skyscrapers that stood atop the mountain. It was a second settlement connected to the one underneath! It was then that Akua realized this was no village, it was a city. She saw more of the mountain as they passed around the west side of the main gate. Four. Five. Six. Seven heads total. It seemed to her the station was located in the more urban half of the city, which was reasonable. Brakes were being applied while they approached and the entirety of the monument became less visible. The screeching mechanisms made certain the train wouldn't be entering the station at dangerous speeds. They made a slight right curve as they decelerated and the lower half of Konoha disappeared behind them. There was a blur of stone. The train zoomed by in close proximity to the side of the mountain. However, this was replaced by the concrete jungle of the upper city. Buildings of different shapes and sizes dwarfed the populace that traveled through the infrastructure. The streets were filled with supply caravans, horse-drawn carriages for the wealthy and small motorized vehicles such as scooters and bikes. Commercial railways split down the middle of most of the main roads from could be seen. They were for the everyday transport of citizens around the massive city. Akua watched them in action. As dozens of individuals exited at a stop, dozens more boarded. Everything was busy and fast paced. Crowds of people walked the sidewalks. Some streets were just for them to pass through. She was fascinated by Konoha's development.

The bullet train eventually pulled into Konoha International Train Station. This modern complex was probably four times the size of Chiba's station. Akua's train pulled into one of three rows of tracks. A pair rail lines that were side by side and split by a steel barrier were present in them. Each row was separated by large platforms where passengers stood and waited. Two of these platforms connected to the walls while two others stood between the three rows. The platforms had several sets of escalators organized in a pyramidal shape across its length. On each side of the supporting structure was one escalator that led up and one that led down, resulting in four total per set. There was space on the platform around them for people to walk without getting too close to the edge. The escalators in a set met at a rectangular peak, which was the base of a set of stairs. The stairs led into the ceiling of that clearing where a series of hallways guided passengers to the main congregation point of its respective part of the complex. Akua and Karin exited on the far left platform. They were promptly met by a middle-aged woman in a black kimono, sleeveless on the left side that revealed the mesh armour she wore underneath. She possessed short black hair and dark eyes to match, along with light muscle tone in her arms. It was clear to the two immigrants that the woman was a kunoichi. She was accompanied by a squad of five cloaked Anbu Black Ops.

"Hello," started the woman, "my name is Shizune and I'd like you to come with me."

* * *

Karin had no choice but to follow the Konoha shinobi. She felt threatened by their presence, afraid that she might be punished for what occurred at Chiba. That had to be why they approached her alone and not any other traveller. But, they didn't apprehend her. Shizune brought them to the front of each line in the immigration process. Within a few moments they exited the building through the front door with Shizune in the lead. She was followed by Karin and Akua while the Anbu walked in a v-shaped formation behind them and along their side. It was as if they were getting a personal escort.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where we're going exactly?" Karin asked. She demanded answers.

Shizune stopped to look at her. "Lord Hokage has requested an urgent audience with you. That is where we are headed."

"Hokage?"﹘Akua looked up at the woman﹘"isn't that the leader of Konoha?"

Shizune leaned slightly to pat her head. "That's correct. You're a smart girl aren't you?" Her comment made the child smile. Shizune continued after returning to Karin, "It's about the incident at Chiba. We were notified a couple hours ago and your names and pictures came through the computer." She turned back to the street. It was a large, three way intersection with crossing pedestrians. "It would be faster if we ran."

One of the Anbu offered to carry Akua but she refused, claiming, "I can run." The man gawked behind his metallic mask.

"Alright then," Shizune responded for the Anbu, "let's go!" She shifted to the right and dashed down the street.

Like most train interstate stations, Konoha built it at the edge of the city. This allowed for easy access for the trains without having to cut through the city itself. Taking the right turn eventually led the group into the forest where they shifted directions, traveling south towards the lower half of the city. They were able to avoid the crowd by taking this route. The Anbu whispered to each other in surprise as to how such a young girl could keep up with them. It bewildered Shizune as well. Karin on the other hand was silent during the entire trip. Light refracting off her lenses hid the look in her eyes and she held her belongings close to her. One wrong move and she could be buried by these ninja. Akua seemed elated. Here she was, only a few feet away from the type of person she wanted to become. _They can show me how to become a ninja! Or maybe the Hokage can… he should know how to for sure_ , she pondered. _I should ask him when we get there._

In the center courtyard of the administrative district–the Academy–stood a tall, cylindrical, limestone building with a smooth texture. Three stories were stacked upon each other. On the third, was a circular plate with the character for 'fire' written in black, centered within a pool of red. Its base was wider than the flat roof in which protruded several rectangular stone structures along its circumference that curved with the building. Two similar but stout buildings each decorated a side of the primary building. Electrical wiring wrapped around the surface area, connected to power lines.

The group of eight entered through the front door into the main lobby. A young lady in a sleeveless, pink shirt sat at the receptionist desk. A pair of thin black scrunchies tied her hair into two thick ponytails. She was adjusting the garnet bowtie underneath her collar when they walked in. "Shizune-san!" she called, "Are you heading up to Hokage-sama?" Shizune nodded to her question. "He's waiting in his office," replied the woman. Akua focused in on the name tag on the desk as the group traveled down a corridor to the right.

"Thanks, Moegi!" she yelled before running to catch up.

Four flights of stairs later, they were walking down a curved hallway. Ancient paintings, hanging ornaments, and scrolls decorated the walls. A dark haired woman with pale lavender eyes approached from around the corner. She was a carrying bento box wrapped in flowery cloth. "Hyuga-sama!" spouted everyone, except the two immigrants, simultaneously. Akua couldn't keep her gaze off of her. Inquiries about who this woman was ran through her mind.

"P-please everyone… you don't need to﹘"the citizens bowed respectfully, causing the beauty's cheeks to flush crimson with embarrassment. She humbly gestured for them to stop.

Shizune rose to greet her. "I'm sorry, Hinata-san, but you'll have to get use to it at some point! What brings you here? Are you delivering lunch?"

"Yes,"﹘Hinata nodded in agreement﹘"Naruto-kun told me left it at home so I brought it to him," she added in a delicate voice. Hinata had a grace about her, such a warm, comforting aura that made the most benevolent angels seem intimidating when compared to her. Akua observed the entire time she was present. Hinata's silky hair had an amethyst tint to it. Perfectly cut bangs framed her forehead with strands that fell straight around her face, extending to her neck similar to Akua's style. "This one here is for my son,"﹘Hinata held up the box wrapped in her hands﹘"...forgive me for my rudeness, but I must get going. His lunch hour is running out." She bowed to them before hurrying off. Akua watched her until she disappeared down the hall.

"Take care, Hinata!" giggled Shizune, waving as she left. She turned back towards the office and sighed contently. "She's so kind." She was right and Akua agreed. What a wonderful woman. Maybe they could meet officially another time.

It wasn't long before they halted. Shizune knocked on the green wooden door. "Come in," responded a calm male voice from behind it. Shizune obeyed, turning the knob and opening the door. The office had a wide panel of windows with a desk sitting in front of it across the room. A man of above average height stood between them, overlooking the lower half of Konoha. He wore a long white cape with a flame design along the trim and the kanji for 'Seventh Hokage' written vertically down the back. His hands were held behind him while the group walked in. The first thing Akua noticed was his spiky blonde hair. Another man of a similar stature stood next to the desk, facing them. He wore a pale, sea green, short sleeved shirt with black pants and sandals. Long black hair was tied back and spiked above his head. The man also fashioned a neat goatee on his chin. When individual behind the desk turned to face them, Shizune and the Anbu knelt on a knee immediately. He had bright azure eyes and three whisker marks on each cheek.

"Hokage-sama," Shizune began, "we've brought the two mentioned in the report."

The Hokage raised his hand. "Thank you, you're free to leave." The shinobi nodded then proceeded to exit the office, shutting the door behind them. Karin had not made a sound the entire trip there. The Hokage took a long, sharp look at the redheaded woman. "Karin," the Seventh called before taking a seat in his chair, "I believe you have a little explaining to do for me."

* * *

Akua was puzzled. _The Seventh knew my mother's name? How could this be?_ Karin seemed displeased that he remembered her. The black haired man on the other hand was just as confused as Akua was.

"Naruto, you know this lady?" questioned the man.

"You should remember too, Shikamaru. Although I admit it's been a decade since we've come across her." Naruto rested his elbows on the desk. His fingers were interlocked in front of his chest.

Akua fixed her attention on the man sitting in the chair. _This was who the nice lady mentioned_ , she said to herself.

The Hokage spoke again. "Come on, you don't seem too happy to see me. Why is that?" he smiled. Karin held her head down and tightened her grip on the dufflebag. She couldn't tell whether or not he was enjoying how uncomfortable he made her. "Are you still in league with Orochimaru?" he continued. She did not respond. Naruto however was rather impatient. "We aren't going to get anywhere if you don't speak. I know you don't want to be here, but you'd be doing us both a favor if you answered my questions." His voice was stern and demanding, but also contained warmth to it. Karin was still as defensive as he remembered. Then to his amazement, she opened her mouth.

"I would have preferred to avoid you," she sighed, "my affiliation with Orochimaru isn't important. Why don't you ask me what you really want to?"

Naruto chuckled, then leaned back into his chair. "Yes, of course. Chiba," he started, "the station was..uh attacked, and it was reported that a redheaded woman accompanied by a black haired, purple eyed child, killed a man." The hokage shifted his vision towards the girl that stood next to Karin. She had a very slight resemblance to her mother, but someone else stood out to him. That realization seemed to frighten him the moment he laid eyes on her. Akua stood frozen. She was very aware of the lingering quizzical glance the Hokage gave her.

"Yes," asserted Karin, "he was after my daughter here. I cut him down in self defense. Nothing more than a simple assault on a train station."

Shikamaru felt the tension resonating from Karin by listening to her speak. Naruto knew she was withholding information from him.

"Now for a more direct question, why'd you decide to come here?" he asked.

Karin lifted her head and stared into his eyes. "I'm migrating. The state of Kusagakure, as you may see, is not in the best condition for me to be raising my child," she replied.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. There was truth to what she was saying, yet Akua seemed to give her a look of disapproval. "Very well then. Could you wait outside? I'd like to speak to your daughter alone, if you don't mind," requested Naruto. Unfortunately, the request was rhetorical. It did not matter whether or not she was okay with it. Karin, with reluctance, left the room. Akua looked back to her, catching her unsettling glare before the door shut. The little girl turned to Naruto. "What is your name?" he asked.

She tried not to meet his eyes but stared into them. Isolated in the center of the room, she put her hands down in front of her, played with her fingers, then spoke, "A-kua. My name is Akua."

"You don't have a last name?"

The girl shook her head. That was odd. Why would she not have a last name?

"And you are from...?"

It took a while for Akua to respond, but when she did, she spoke with authority, "Kusagakure."

Shikamaru glanced at Naruto, surprised by how quickly Naruto had forgotten where Karin said they were from.

"Was your mother leaving out any information?" he questioned. Akua nodded.

"What was it?" Naruto continued.

"She stole something."

"From who?" A gleam of interest sparked in his pupils.

"Kusagakure," she claimed, "she told me that it was why we were assaulted."

Naruto appeared to be content with the answers he'd received. It was as if he'd instantly pieced the puzzle together. "I appreciate your cooperation. Is there anything I can do for you in return?"

Akua's eyes illuminated with excitement. Now was her chance. "Yes," she blurted out, "I want to be a ninja!"

The two men in the room were taken back by her demand, and looked at each other. Naruto examined the girl again. She was sweaty and looked exhausted. He concluded that the child must have accompanied the adults here on foot, she wasn't carried. Her violet eyes were filled with an ambition he'd only seen in one other. Furthermore, she did him a favor in protecting the peace and prosperity of Konoha. She met all the prerequisites for entering the academy, some more than others. Naruto gave her his signature bright smile. "Alright, you start at the Ninja Academy tomorrow morning at seven. I'll make sure the forms you need are processed immediately. Welcome to Konoha," he said, and handed her the admission papers from a drawer in his desk. Akua was ecstatic and accepted them gratefully.

Shikamaru looked over at the Hokage. "Are you sure we can just force her in? The academic year has already start﹘"

Naruto held his hand up, silencing the man. "We can accept her as an alternative. Trust me, it'll be fine."

Shikamaru was speechless.

Akua used the desk as support to sign the documents. She wrote her name, date of birth and all the information it requested. "Thank you, Hokage-sama, I won't let you down!" she bowed to him and then Shikamaru.

With her right ear pressed against it, Karin heard everything on the other side of the door. Her teeth clenched in livid anger. Akua had told them what they wanted to hear. The seething woman waited outside until her daughter came through the office door. Karin aggressively scooped up the girl's wrist and headed back towards where they came.

"What was the point of that? Couldn't you have just left it to the Interrogation Division?" suggested Shikamaru.

Naruto began to write on Akua's forms. "I could have, but then I wouldn't have met that girl. She's an interesting one."

Shikamaru only became even further curious on the subject. "I'm guessing you think there's something special about this situation. Enlighten me."

Naruto placed the pen down and faced his advisor. "Now that we know what the ninja were after, we can assume they shouldn't have had it in the first place. It could have been days since she left. We haven't received an extradition request from Kusagakure have we?"

Shikamaru shook his head.

"That means it's best if we held on to whatever was stolen instead, and kept an eye on Karin."

Shikamaru rubbed his chin, making sense of Naruto's words. "My intelligence seems to have rubbed off. You're thinking a lot like me nowadays. And the girl?" he added.

Naruto slid a small photo over to Shikamaru. "You should see it in her as well as I do." He gestured to a separate note he had written for himself on his desk.

"How can you be so sure about that?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto looked his advisor in the eye and reassured him, "I just know, believe me."

Shikamaru let out an exhausted sigh as he rested his face in his palm. "Psh...what a drag."

* * *

After Karin left the Hokage's office with her daughter, she found the nearest real estate office. The agent she met provided her with a list of homes in the city that were available for purchase and or rent. Given the options, she chose the cheapest home at 750,000 ryō. That was still extremely expensive compared to Kusagakure. It was a small, old house located on the outskirts of the city. Karin was once again mute as they traveled there. She roamed through the streets of Konoha without any regards to who was passing by. Akua watched her deliberately bump into a man she could have avoided, causing him to stumble and splatter the cake he had been carrying. She had to apologize for her mother's insensitivity.

After a three mile walk, they'd finally arrived. The house was a wide, one story, two bedroom one bathroom living quarters made almost entirely out of wood. Tarnished stone made up the exterior of the walls, while the roof, corners, and front steps were wooden. Planks boarded up the base of the building and the windows needed much cleaning. Akua stepped through the front door into a musty scent. The inside needed to be washed down as well. The first room was the living room which surprisingly still had furniture. Two sofas sat in the room, one along the right wall and one on the wall to the right of where she stood. There was an opening on the right as well to a dining room that had a table but no chairs. Far across the room was an open doorway that led to the kitchen. A hallway started to her near left and circled around to another opening just before the kitchen. That side hallway contained one of the bedrooms and the bathroom. The second bedroom was situated next the kitchen. Akua dropped her bag on the sofa nearest to her and attempted to start a conversation. "This was… a bad choice."

Karin dropped the duffle bag on the floor and slid her satchel strap from her shoulder into her left hand, then let it fall. She did not acknowledge Akua's presence, yet.

Akua attempted to change the subject. "Hokage-sama, he's so kind! He let me into the Academy!" she continued, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. "I'm that much closer to finding Se﹘" she was abruptly cut off, for the back of Karin's right hand made it's way around, planting itself into Akua's right cheek. The child's head was forced to the left and she staggered in that direction before collapsing. A strike of that magnitude easily leaked through the thin housing walls to the outside. Akua laid on the burning side of her face, eyes unable to shut themselves and filled with trembling horror. She couldn't comprehend what just happened. The girl tasted iron in her mouth, and spit a bloody wad of saliva onto the floor. The inside of her mouth must have grazed her teeth. She struggled to get to her knees. The liquid that gathered in her eyes made her vision blurry. When Akua caught sight of Karin, she fell on her butt against the door. Her mother glared at her with disgust and she didn't understand why.

"We aren't here to make friends. We aren't here so you can go play ninja, and we definitely aren't here to waste time trying to find someone who's long dead," scolded Karin. "You showed me I can't trust you with any information. Get out of my sight!" she commanded.

Akua didn't hesitate to open the door and scramble down the road with tears in her wake.

 **A/N: Wow, rough ending huh? What will happen to Akua next?**

 **I apologize for the shortness of the chapter since I had already pre-written it. However, the third chapter will be about 10k words long. I'll try to keep this rhythm as the story progresses. Stay tuned for more!**


	3. The Ideal Family?

**Ch.3 The Ideal Family?**

The sun was minutes away from setting in Konoha and Akua couldn't see any color in the sky. All she saw was the black void and sparkling stars of the heavens. Underneath it in small amounts was the washing away of orange light. Akua staggered down an empty road. This part of the city remained quiet at night, for it was a suburban neighborhood. Street lights illuminated the narrow path. Coming up on her right was the opening to a small playground. Her sandals crunched into the sand as she passed through the gate and took a seat on the nearest swing. It was captured under the light of a street lamp. Akua hung her head as she grasped the suspension chains, using the edge of her sandals in the ground to push back and forth slowly. She stared into the sand as she rocked. It was then that another pair of feet came into her view. They wore small black sandals. A child? She didn't care to look up.

"Hey, what are you doing sittin' out here alone? You'll get cold, ya idiot." Akua could tell that this was a young boy by his childish voice, but didn't acknowledge his presence. She continued to swing gently, never having her feet leave the ground. "Are you deaf or somethin'? I'm talkin' to you!" The boy noticed the swollen plum of a bruise on her right cheek. "Did you get beat up or somethin'? That's a real nasty one you got there, ya dummy," he teased.

"Shut up."

"Oh, so you aren't deaf," the boy returned.

"What do you want," muttered Akua. She finally looked up into what seemed to be a familiar face, but she had never met this child. The boy was round in face, with two distinct whisker marks on each of his cheeks. His eyes had a pale azure glimmer in them and his abundant, blonde hair stood on end. Her mood was softened by the serious yet goofy expression he possessed. It made him look ridiculous. She couldn't put her finger on where she had seen him before.

"My ma over there, she told me to come over here and introduce myself, and invite you to our home," he gestured to the woman behind them who stood waiting outside the playground fence. It was Hinata! The Hyuga waved at the girl when she became aware of her. Akua couldn't keep her jaw closed. Why were they showing her such hospitality? She was a stranger that they just met. "My name is Boruto, nice to meet ya," he greeted, holding out his right hand. The girl couldn't find any words, only a million thoughts that collided in her head. All she could do was inch towards his hand before she took hold of it. Boruto flashed a wide smile and pulled Akua from the swing, dragging her towards his mother. "So, you don't have a name?" he asked as they arrived. She looked to him, then up to his mother. Boruto's smile was contagious, adopting it as she revealed her name.

"Akua, it's Akua. Nice to meet you too!"

Hinata immediately realized the bruise that was almost hidden by her hair. Akua was hoping that she didn't, but the blotch of discoloration in her fair skin and would be rosy cheek could not be ignored. Hinata tilted Akua's chin upwards and tucked the hair behind her ear in order to better see the injury, causing the child to gulp down. "What happened to you?" she cried. Genuine concern was etched into her trembling lavender eyes. She used her thumb and brushed against the damaged skin, causing the girl to flinch in pain.

"It's nothing, ma'am," Akua whimpered.

Hinata was not convinced. She pressured the spot once more to prove her point before repeating herself. "What happened?"

Akua hesitated to respond, trying not to meet her eyes. She had to think of something else to say, she couldn't tell them the truth. It was what got her in the situation in the first place. "I… when I was on my way here, I fell… I tripped on a rock and fell and I got this bruise.."

Hinata was no doctor, but possessed intermediate medicinal knowledge. Therefore, she could tell from the shape and texture of the skin that this was no mere accident. Someone inflicted this upon her. The thought of it made Hinata frown. She was aware that Akua was lying but didn't press the situation any longer. It was probably too embarrassing or frightening to tell the truth, especially with her son around. This was something better discussed in private. "Here, I'll treat you before we go. We wouldn't want Naruto-kun getting worked up over this."

Akua was relieved that she didn't continue to question her. Hinata shuffled through the contents of her large purse, withdrawing a miniature first aid kit. Boruto was impressed at how prepared his mother always was, but he grew impatient.

"Come on, let's hurry this up. We need to start dinner! I'm hungry!" he reminded them.

Hinata opened the kit with his words in mind. Others were waiting at home for her. She bent over slightly to Akua's level and cleaned the bruise with a disinfectant wipe, due parts of the skin being open wounds. Hinata then placed her hand near her right cheek, igniting a burst of emerald chakra that made the girl's hair flutter. The Mystical Palm technique began to repair the cells of the ruptured capillaries in her cheek and closed the wounds. The blood underneath her skin was absorbed into the new circulatory pathways and the discoloration faded immediately. The chakra in Hinata's hand dispersed and a content smile couldn't help but grow. Akua's skin was as fair as was before. "There, that should do it!" She discarded the wipe in a nearby garbage bin and placed the first aid kit in her purse as she returned. "Come, let's go home," she said finally.

Boruto's stomach growled and gnawed at his insides. Both females were brought to laughter by his hunger. Hinata took hold of each of their hands while they walked the rest of the way home. Hinata's hands weren't very large, but they had a firm yet soft, warm grip that made Akua feel secure. However, the little girl remained vigilant. There were probably many others sitting out on the street that night. She couldn't possibly be so generous, especially to someone she'd only seen for a moment. It was then that she remembered Shizune's words. Perhaps this was just an act of kindness after all. It all seemed foreign to her.

Little did Akua know that on the other side of Hinata, Boruto was sneaking quick looks at her. He was intrigued by the grace of her eyes, captivated by the hue that resembled the deep violet of amethyst birthstones. Her hair bounced perfectly around her neck as she walked. He was almost intimidated by her presence. Boruto wasn't being truthful with Akua when he approached her. In fact, he was the one who insisted on speaking to her and inviting her home. He noticed the brilliance of her eyes behind her black bangs far before Hinata realized she was sitting at the swing. Telling her that it was his mom's idea was just a way to protect his pride. There was a new, throbbing feeling in his chest. He diagnosed it to just be a side affect of his hunger and nothing more.

When the Uzumaki household came into view, the last ounce of sunlight was drowned by darkness. Lunar rays illuminated the streets where the lamp posts could not. The entire cratered celestial body was visible that night, but it's presence was the last thing on Boruto's mind. All he was thinking about was his long awaited dinner. Akua on the other hand was eager to officially meet Naruto Uzumaki again. She'd heard of this name before actually. He was the hero of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, a battle that would determine the fate of the entire world. Naruto was also part of the group that saved the moon from crashing into the earth, all of which happened before she was born. His name was well known throughout the nations. It was almost impossible for one to not know who he was. To her, this was an honor bestowed upon few people outside of Konoha.

Hinata approached the door and reached towards the lock with her house key. The tumblers clicked and she opened the door to a warmly lit hallway. "We're home!" announced Hinata in her soft voice. Naruto, although they couldn't see, was sitting on a couch in the living room and the small child playing with building blocks on the floor near him quickly recognized the woman.

"Kaa-chan!" screamed the child from the other room as her mother walked through the hall, followed by her older brother and Akua. The little girl shuffled to her feet and burst from around the corner to warmly embrace her mother.

"Hima!" Hinata cried with her waist bound, "mommy missed you!"

Akua was thrilled by the young child's enthusiasm. Such a passionate relationship fascinated her. Boruto on the other hand was jealous that his sister hadn't greeted him first. Naruto appeared from around the same corner and chuckled at the scene, amused at a struggling Hinata trying to pry her daughter from around her; it was a common sight.

"If you don't let me go, I won't be able to start dinner, darling!" she tried to explain, but it took the help of her husband to finally remove her daughter. Akua noticed the smile Himawari wore from ear to ear that accentuated her puffy cheeks. She possessed the same eyes and whisker marks as Boruto and Naruto, but her mother's hair texture and color. Overall, she was an adorable little girl. Akua approached Naruto after he'd taken Himawari off of her mother and bowed.

"Hokage-sama, it is a pleasure to officially meet you once more." Naruto was flattered by her greeting. Himawari stepped up to examine her.

"Tou-chan, who is this?" she asked with her young, lively voice. Naruto had to take a moment to remember who she was.

"Uh...Ah! This is Akua, she's a new immigrant to Konoha as of today, Hima. I'm guessing mommy invited her over," he answered. Boruto jumped at his assumption. Himawari lightened up to her and took Akua's hand, to her surprise.

"Come, let's play! I have lots of toys!" As the young child dragged her down the hall, Hinata followed close behind to go to the kitchen and start dinner.

Naruto stayed behind with his son. "So," he started, "…don't think I didn't notice the way you reacted. You were the one who invited her, weren't you?"

Boruto's face filled with crimson embarrassment like a container overflowing with water. His father had a comical look on his face, wiggling his eyebrows at him. "I-it's not like that! I just saw her sitting by herself out in the dark! It's not like I like her or anything ya know! She's a girl, she has cooties!"

Naruto's expression grew more suggestive. "I didn't say anything about liking her…" and at that moment Boruto's defense mechanisms shattered like broken glass. His father nudged his arm, "It's ok to have a crush on someone you know, you should talk to her, ehehe."

"I don't like her!" he snapped back.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, you old man!"

Boruto shoved past his father and down the hall towards his room. Naruto didn't expect his son to get so flustered over the joke, but it entertained him all the same. The door was shut, keeping the night's cold air from entering any further. The Hokage sighed, but did so with a smile and headed back down the hall towards the living room. He was able to hear the thudding noise of his playful daughter's footsteps above him. She'd always had a habit of jumping around when she was excited. Naruto sat down in his favorite cushioned chair and went back to his work. Two stacks of documents rested on the coffee table before him. One was a three inch high a pile of finished papers while the other was unfinished and double its size. Next to it was a hot cup of tea that he brewed for himself. It was almost 6:30 pm. In two minutes he was expecting an important phone call. In order to pass the time, Naruto decided not to procrastinate and complete his work. Soon he came across Akua's documents once again. They had already been registered in the Konoha database. All he had to do was give his final stamp of approval. He carefully examined the piece of paper. " _Akua"_ was printed at the top. The last name slot was left blank. Naruto wanted to confirm a suspicion he had about this girl. Her date of birth was the third of November, 1131, roughly a year before his son. She was ten years old. Naruto raised an eyebrow at this information. "Hmm…That seems about right, considering how things were…" he pondered. He became slightly distracted by the aroma of Hinata's cooking in the other room. Her cooking always seemed to mesmerize him. But he quickly switched his focus. Her height was listed as 149cm (4'11") and her weight was 34 kg (75 lbs). What puzzled him the most was the unusual color of her eyes. It didn't seem a normal combination for the pair he had in mind. The only other person he'd met with violet eyes was Priestess Shion of the Land of Demons. There was no doubt in his mind who this child was however. When Naruto stamped her document his cellphone rang. It was who he was expecting. Naruto answered the phone.

"Hey, loser," greeted the person over the line.

* * *

Himawari's tiny steps thudded into the flooring all the same as she dragged Akua through the hall and into her square shaped room. Smelling of sweet red roses, the aroma was exclusive to it. The walls were painted a saturated, bright magenta hue, ornate with flower stickers and various other posters. Her bed was located on the left as one would walk in, sitting in the center of the wall across from the door. It was neatly kept with white sheets and a pink comforter. Five matching pillows decorated the mattress—four in columns of two side by side and one circular pillow in the center. Above it was a white wooden headboard. Next to itself on either side were bedside tables, one of which possessed a lamp on the right. The room had a fuzzy white carpeting that tickled Akua's feet as she walked on it and toys littered the floor. To her near left was Himawari's white dresser. It had two columns of drawers, and on the top, all sorts of combs, ribbons, brushes and other hair styling objects. To the left of that was her wardrobe and even further, the left wall, was a sliding glass door that led to a balcony. Pink polka-dotted curtains adorned its sides. Through the glass a view of Konoha at night was present. Thousands of lights lit the dark landscape. Across was the right wall where a desk, fashioned with a computer, books, pencils and messy papers, stood. A rolling chair was tucked into it. Himawari pranced around and turned to Akua. "Do you like my room!?" she sang out. Akua took in the new sight, astounded as to how colorful it was.

"Ah.. it's not exactly to my tastes, but it's… very pretty," Akua replied. Such a setting was quite odd to her. She'd practically grown up in darkness. There was not much color to Kusagakure. However it still lightened Akua's mood, so she played along. Himawari directed her to her favorite toys. They were action figures of her father, Naruto, and one other person. Himawari handed her the dark haired, cloaked figure. Akua examined the replica of the man. "Who is this?" she asked.

"Oh! That's Tou-chan's best friend! Uncle Sasie!" she responded, fidgeting around with Naruto's plastic joints.

"Uncle Sasie? That's not his real name is it," she teased. She noticed something odd about the figurine. Unlike Naruto's, his right eye was crimson. As she focused in, three tiny dots surrounding the pupil were visible.

"His real name is...hmm Sasuke? Ya! Sasuke Uchiha," she answered, "he and Tou-chan are really popular!"

"Sasuke Uchiha huh…" Akua mumbled as she peered into the toy's intimidating stare. Himawari sat and held the Naruto toy's arms out, gesturing for Akua to sit so they could play. It was then that Hinata's call was heard.

"Himawari! Can you help me set the table please?" her mother called across the house.

"Okay!"—Himawari put the figure down and looked up to Akua— "Sorry! We can play another time!" she said before running out the room door.

Akua watched as she left, then turned back to the figure of Sasuke. For some reason she felt uneasy. She put the toy down, and did not stop looking at it until she was in the frame of the doorway. Distracted, Akua thudded into something the moment she tried to change direction. The impact forced her into the ground. A second thud hit the ground around the same time as she did.

"What the hell's your problem, can't you see where you're goin'?" growled a familiar voice. Akua finally opened her eyes. It was Boruto. He seemed quite irritated as both their skulls collided into each other.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Akua pleaded, trying to justify her case.

"Yea, I can see that," he nagged. Boruto eyed the girl sitting across from him. Her clothes were tarnished and sweaty, as if she'd be active for long periods of time. She probably had not changed her clothing in a few days. His nose wrinkled. "You need a shower. There's no way I'm letting you near my food like that, flat chest."

Akua scowled at him. The remark tossed around in her head and his insensitivity disgusted her. "Shut up,"—she turned away from him, furious and embarrassed at the same time—"t-they haven't even come in yet! And I don't have a change of clothes with me…" her voice trailed off. Her only other clothing was back in her new home. Just a different shirt, pants, and two other pairs of underwear was all she ever had.

"Come on," Boruto started as he picked himself up, "Hima's clothes might be too small for you. I might have somethin' though." He directed her toward his room. Akua was hesitant to follow until she caught a whiff of her own scent. She almost keeled over. Thus, she rose from the floor and complied. Akua waited outside of his room door until he emerged with a pair of gray pants and a black t-shirt with the uzumaki emblem printed on the back. "Here," he said, handing her the clothing along with a spare towel he had. The thought of wearing a boy's clothes seemed weird, but it was better than smelling like a sumo wrestler. It was surprisingly generous for someone she had the impression of being the most obnoxious person in the world. A smile couldn't help but to form.

"Thank you, this is really nice," she complimented. Boruto's face flushed at the realization of her words.

"Just go, ya flat chest!" he reacted.

Akua found amusement in how flustered he became. She giggled as she wandered off in search of the bathroom.

"Pft… nice," he muttered to himself as he stomped through the hall, "gotta be kiddin' me."

* * *

Boruto was eagerly waiting for his dinner. Tonight was one of his favorites; his mother's spicy curry rice! He drooled at the thought. While walking back up the stairs after he checked on the meal's progress, he could still smell its aroma. Boruto decided to wait the rest of the time out in his room but he was in for an awakening. "Gah..!" he screamed, opening the door to the sight of Akua laying down along his bed. Her clothes were switched out and she had donned the ones Boruto had given her. She wasn't phased by his commotion and was more interested in the portable gaming device in her hands. The electronic light emitting onto her face refracted off of her violet eyes, leaving them wide open as well.

"Hey," she began, not shifting focus from the game, "what is this thing?" Her thumbs blitzed against the device's controls. Boruto couldn't believe what he saw.

"That's… my video game!" he complained. Boruto stomped over. "You little—" The bottom of Akua's bare right foot whipped out and slapped against his face, effectively keeping him away. Each time he tried to move the foot followed him. His arms reached out in front of him trying to snatch his game but they were nowhere near. Boruto's efforts came to an end when he was tossed to the ground. Dink! Akua repositioned herself on his bed, sat up, and held out his game.

"Here, I beat level 24," she claimed with pride.

"How did you…that level…is supposed to be impossible…" he said, having a hard time comprehending her feat.

"What? It wasn't that hard," she added as Boruto hesitated to take the device from her. There was a red footprint in the center of his dimwitted face that made her giggle.

"You're amazing!" he exclaimed, smiling into the screen.

"Hm… Is that so?"

"Yes! Now I can go rub this in Shikadai and Inojin's faces!" he laughed.

"Well, I'm happy to help," Akua replied, laughing with him. She looked around the room at all of the other things within. It appeared a bit smaller than Himawari's but that was probably because of its rectangular shape. The object on his desk to the right seemed to fascinate her. "Hey, Buh-Boruto? Boruto! What's that over there?" she asked. He looked up from his device to her, then to where she was pointing.

"That's a computer. How don't you know what that is?"

"I've never seen one before."

"How come? Where are you from?" he pressed.

"I'm from Kusagakure. It's a village far away from here and I came with my mother," she said, her expression dimming at the mention of Karin.

"I'm guessing all this technology is new to you then," he theorized. Akua nodded at his hypothesis.

"I'm not very privileged, as you can see," she pouted. Boruto picked himself up from the ground, patted her shoulder, then sat next to her.

"Don't worry, your life'll be a lot better here," he reassured her.

"I hope so."

"So, why'd you decide to move here?"

"I honestly… have no clue," she sighed, "but I'm planning on making the most of it. I start Academy tomorrow."

"Really? So you wanna be a ninja huh?"

"Yea, it's the only way I can get strong enough…" her voice trailed off.

"Go on. Strong enough for?" Boruto seemed interested now.

"Hm. You ask a lot of questions," Akua sassed. She let out another long sigh and laid herself back into the bed, staring up into the ceiling. "I want to find my brother, that's all."

"A sibling huh…"

"Mhm. He's my twin brother, but I'm older, only by three minutes."

"He lost or somethin'?"

Akua paused for a moment before she spoke. "I… can't really say."

Boruto couldn't help but to get lost in the depths of the amethyst irises that gazed above the girl as she fell quiet. Her damp, shoulder length hair captured light perfectly but was still a saturated black. Strands of it were matted to her forehead, cheeks, and neck. She reminded him of someone else he knew but at the same time, she was different. There was an intense mystique about her that lingered, no matter what or how much she told him about herself. It only made him even more curious. Such a curiosity was quite annoying to bare. However, he didn't know what he wanted to ask her. Many more questions emerged within his mind. More about where she was from, some her brother, her presence her. It all baffled him, but he could not bring himself to press it any further. It occurred to him that—for the first time in his life—he was intimidated by someone. What made it even more striking was that she effortlessly pulled this off. This was simply nature for her, it appeared. Perhaps there was something else about her that he was not aware of, something that had been left out in their conversation. Snap. Boruto couldn't designate what it was. Snap! Snap! He continued to ponder, oblivious to the sounds he was hearing.

"Hey!" Akua shouted, snapping her fingers in his face. Boruto suddenly stirred back to reality. "Why were you looking at me like that, you weirdo."

"Ah! I-… Do-… yo-," he rambled, unable to form understandable words. He was finally able to speak after a few seconds. "I just… I've never seen anyone with that eye color before."

"Hm… so you were looking at them. They're hideous, aren't they?" she huffed, fixing her gaze away from him and outside of his window.

"What? No, I think they're really awesome," he said, trying to comfort her. "Ya know, I thought you were pretty stupid at first but… you're pretty cool."

Akua froze, hearing of his words. It almost frightened her. It was the first time someone had ever complimented her eyes. She heard a movement of clothing behind her, turned her head to face the boy, and there he was, with that signature, contagious smile. His right fist was held out to her. Akua examined it for a moment, not sure what to do. But she eventually figured it out. Adopting his smile, she bumped fists with him. "Thank you…" she acknowledged, "it really means a lot. And you're not as idiotic as you look either." Her last remark snapped him out of his mood in an instant. He was back to that same old, goofy-looking, serious face and it amused her all the same.

The scent of piping hot curry finally reached Akua's nose and a motorcycle engine rumbled in her stomach. At that point, she realized her last meal was at least three days ago. She was painfully hungry and it never once occurred to her before up until now. Hinata's soothing voice called from downstairs.

"Dinner's ready!"

Boruto looked at Akua and smiled. It only took a nod at the door to prompt a race to the kitchen. Akua accepted his challenge and he bolted out of the room. Unfortunately for her she was not exactly sure where the kitchen was, caught in the maze of a foreign home. Therefore, she was left to follow behind Boruto. The girl followed closely, however, and when the door to the kitchen and dining room became visible, she quickly caught up. The door opened a bit, and Akua attempted to force herself in. But Boruto attempted to crash through at the same time she did. Naruto and Himawari sat in their chairs and watched the two fighting to slip past the sliding door. Their bodies were pinned together by the frame and they eventually tumbled onto the floor. Hinata turned to look at them with her usual warm expression. "It seems like someone made a new friend," Hinata noticed. The woman put on her oven mitts and lifted the boiling pot of curry from the stove. She carried it carefully over to the table Himawari set all by herself. It was rested on a stand in the center so that it was easily accessible to everyone who sat down. The spicy aroma filled the room, enough to choke up someone who wasn't use to being exposed to so much pepper. Boruto took his regular seat next to his younger sister. Across from them sat their parents. Akua sat in the seat to the left the children, nearest to the windows.

"Itadakimasu!" announced the Uzumaki before beginning to dish out their meal. Of course, Boruto lunged first. He opened the rice cooker and carved out three large scoops. His attention then shifted to the steaming hot curry. There was a special spoon which they used to extract it. Boruto snagged it feverishly and did not hesitate to coat his white rice with the red colored curry. The sauce continued to boil in his plate, characterized by the popping bubbles of air within the thick liquid. The curry was seasoned with a fresh mix of diced beef cubes, small orange peppers, and a plethora of other vegetables. When he was finished, he sat down content. His spoon was picked up and he began to devour his dinner. The spices danced across his taste buds as he ate with the tempo of firecrackers, causing awkward sounds with each bite he took. Himawari giggled at the greediness of her brother while Hinata scolded her son. Naruto calmly started to eat his share, and laughed at his son's misery as his wife reached over the table just to yank his nose. Everyone had a plate of food in front of of them. Akua on the other hand sat with her plate empty, her hands in her lap. She didn't know whether not she was allowed anything to eat, despite being overcome by hunger. The sight of watching everyone tear their meals apart made her salivate involuntarily. The girl soon became lost in a daze, with her mind wandering off. The food only reminded her of how malnourished she was. Her body pivoted along the chair and her vision blurred. _So this is what a… family looks like_ , she admired. Hinata noticed the fading girl to her right and reached out to her.

"Akua, are you alright dear?" she worried, tapping her shoulder. "There's nothing on your plate." Hinata couldn't bare to see her look so ill. "You're welcome to eat, dear, there's more than enough for all of us."

Akua was shaken back into consciousness by the woman's words. However, she was still reluctant. "I'm… I'm sorry. I'm not use to… sitting around a table with people and eating more that what's been given to me," she said, pausing for a moment, "other than that, I'd usually just scavenge my own food. Please forgive me."

The silence after Akua's words was deafening. Naruto wanted to speak, but his mouth was filled with curry and rice. It took him a moment, struggling to swallow his large bites. He had to wash it down with the water Hinata brought to the table beforehand. "Since you're a future citizen of Konoha…"—he cleared his throat—"I, as your Hokage, order you to eat as much as you can," he said, finishing with a grin. Akua was perplexed at his demand. She again could not wrap her head around why these people treated her so well. It was like they'd already welcomed her into their family and she had only been there for two hours. Akua fixed her eyes on Hinata and witnessed her approval of Naruto's orders. They then shifted to Himawari to her near right, then Boruto who sat further down. Both were accepting of her. It brought a tear to her eye that she had to wipe away.

"Yes, sir," she complied, and picked up her plate.

Hinata took the porcelain from the girl, for the hotpot was too far to the center of the table. Before long, a steaming hot plate of rice lathered by spiced curry rested before her. Akua fetched the spoon next to her plate and poked at the boiling brew. She never tasted curry before. Her previous, occasional diet consisted of poorly cooked chicken and rice soup. Anything else were things she caught in the wilderness. Never had she eaten a well cooked meal, prepared with care. Her spoon plunged into the rice, scooping a portion of it up along with some of the curry. Flickering ribbons of steam wafted up into her welcoming nostrils and making her drool. Akua brought it to her mouth, her hand trembling with interest of how it would taste. Her lips shut around the steel and she dragged it out of her mouth, leaving the food within as she chewed. A switch went off in her head. She chewed in more sporadic motions. Fireworks erupted in her mouth and her taste buds tingled. This was ambrosia compared to anything she tasted before. The starving girl had to have more. She savagely scraped the spoon against the plate and stuffed her face again, yet to swallow the first bite. Within a seconds her plate was empty, scraped clean of even the slightest grain of rice. "So good..!" she declared after swallowing. She huffed and puffed at the exercise of eating so fast. Individual grains were matted around her mouth. Unfortunately for her, that was only a drop of water in the bucket of her stomach. "More please..?" she requested, lifting her plate. The Uzumaki's ogled at her ravenous appetite. None of them were more than halfway finished with their first plate. Beads of sweat rolled down the young girl's face. They could tell the unnatural amount of spice was ablaze in her mouth, but she didn't seem to care. Hinata hastily granted her request, filling her plate with twice as much food than before. And Akua went to work again. And again. And again. And again. It was unbelieveable. Only Hinata and Boruto finished second plates. Akua's stomach felt like it would fall out of her body. Therefore she slouched back into her chair, triumphantly patting her bloated belly. A hiccuped burp forced itself from her that interrupted the spell of silence plaguing everyone as they watched Akua eat.

"Wow, you sure can put it away, huh?" Boruto teased. It drew joyful laughter from everyone, including the champion eater.

Akua found herself sinking into a couch about 15 minutes later. Naruto was in the kitchen cleaning up and washing the dishes. He had Himawari there standing on a stool next to him. His daughter seemed to like helping around the house, which isn't surprising because of how sweet she is. The clicking of plates and running water was able to be heard through the walls. Boruto had taken himself upstairs for a shower of his own. He told Akua beforehand that he would return shortly. As she rested herself, Hinata approached her. She had a knitting kit in her possession. "Do you mind if I sit next to you, dear?" she asked with the utmost sincerity.

"No, of course not Hyuga-sama," Akua responded, sitting up and clearing a space for her. Hinata adjusted her lilac dress before sitting down.

"No need to be so formal," she smiled, "We aren't in public after all."

"Yes…ma'am."

Hinata opened her kit, sifting through her yarn collection. She took a look at Akua for a moment, then drew out a dark, violet thread, saturated with color. "Your eyes, they're stunning," Hinata said. Akua blushed.

"You're too kind, ma'am, they're not that special…" she denied.

"And you're too humble for your own good," Hinata said, giggling at the girl.

Akua gave in to her compliment. "Thank you, ma'am." She noticed Hinata beginning to weave the yarn between two long needles. It was clear that she was skilled with needlework. "Do you always knit?" Akua asked, trying to continue the conversation.

"Oh," Hinata squeaked, being drawn out of the trance of her work, "N-not all the time, it's just a hobby, really." She didn't take her eyes off of the yarn as the needles ran through premature lacing. "I just like to make things myself. It feels better, and means more when it's handcrafted. Especially if it's for someone else."

"I never thought of it like that… who is that for then?"

Hinata paused for a moment to face the girl and put an index finger to her lips. "Sh… I can't say," she whispered, "it's a secret."

Akua seemed eager to know now. "I can ke"—she stopped herself and fell into noticeable silence. Hinata reexamined the girl. Her expression read distress.

"What's the matter, dear?"

"I'm not very good at keeping secrets…" she admitted, "but, can you keep one for me if I tell you something?"

"Of course," Hinata replied, genuinely wanting to comfort the girl. Akua took a deep breath.

"The bruise on my cheek from earlier. I'm sure you could tell I was lying when I said that it was just an accident…"

Hinata nodded in agreement.

"It was…my mother. I told a secret that I promised to keep for her. I told Hokage-sama…I thought he'd be able… to help us"—talking about the situation brought her to tears. Her eyes swelled shut with them and they poured down her cheeks. Her chest stung and her breathing became erratic, but she continued—"and she… w-was angry, a-…an-and when we arrived at o-our new hulm… she hit me."

Hinata threw the knitting equipment down and pulled Akua into a passionate embrace. The sobbing girl collapsed into her grasp, face buried into her bosom. Her body tremored in Hinata's arms while she wailed into her clothing. "She… she hates me… and everything I do and I don't know why!" she mumbled into Hinata's chest.

"No mother could ever hate their child, no matter what they did," Hinata started as she stroked the back of Akua's head, "I believe her anger is not with you. But unfortunately, she takes it out on you. It only seems that she dislikes you."

Akua began to calm herself, her weeping ceased to sniffling. Naruto peered into the living room after he finished with the dishes, wondering what all the noise was. Hinata snapped a look at her husband and gestured him to be quiet. He was clueless at first, but then he noticed Akua in her arms. This was no place for him. He tip toed past the frame of the living room and scrambled on upstairs until they were finished. Hinata focused her attention back to the fragile girl snuggled into her body. "Although I don't agree with what your mother is doing, I understand, and you have to try and understand what she's going through as well. You're her flesh and blood. You might be all that she has right now."

Hinata loosened her hold on the girl, allowing her to sit upright again. Akua rubbed the tears from her tender eyelids and stared down into her lap. She took a deep breath before she was able to recollect herself. Hinata's pale lavender eyes were the next things in her sight. Akua concluded that this woman was truly one of a kind. Her benevolent presence comforted her to the point where she felt secure and safe. She was able to bestow the deepest of secrets without fret or worry. Akua valued this. It was something she needed, something she craved for years, a person she could open up to. She wondered if Hinata could be this pillar for her. "You're really nice, ma'am. Your entire family… I've never met anyone like you before."

Hinata was shocked at her words, that she had probably lived most of her life with these feelings bottled up.

"In only a couple hours," she continued, "I was able to feel like… I finally had a home. I don't want to leave this place. I want to settle here in Konoha."

"Konoha welcomes you, Akua," she said, blessing the girl with an angelic smile.

"I heard someone cryin' down here," said an obnoxious voice, "better not be you, Ku-chan."

Akua looked over to see the blonde haired boy with a towel around his neck. Her mood brightened with the sight of Boruto in the living room. His presence made her want to be tough and feel powerful. It was an unspoken competition of dominance. "Ku-chan? Is that what you're calling me now, dork?" she responded in menacing tone, but meant no harm.

"Yea, you got a problem?" he said, turning to the side of his face and leaning in.

"Hmph. As if, I don't care what you call me, you're still a loser!" she poked her tongue out, jumping from the couch and brushing past Boruto in a sprint out of the room.

"Hey," he yelled, "who're you callin' a loser!"

Hinata watched her son chased the girl out of the room. It was like Akua had already forgotten what she had been upset about. Boruto immediately erased what was on her mind. Hinata could not help but to feel content about the development of their relationship in such a short period of time. It brought a smile to her face. So many different thoughts of who those two reminded her off darted through her mind. It made her feel nostalgic. That was the moment her husband slipped back into the room. Naruto had switched into his casual home wear, the black joggers and orange sweatshirt he possessed for a couple years now. He had watched as the two ran in the other direction, not even noticing him a few moments before. "You see it too, don't you?" he asked, grinning towards his wife. He stood above her as she retrieved her equipment and continued to knit. The smile never left her face while she focused on her work.

"Yes, I do, it really brings me back to those old academy days… such a long time ago, but it feels like yesterday, doesn't it," she replied, her voice a soft whisper. Naruto took a seat where Akua once was, looking towards his hands as if there were a thousand miles between him and them. Hinata's words started to bring back his memories. His days in the academy with friends, hard times, but some of the most treasured. "You think they'll become good friends?"

"I don't think that at all." Naruto looked at her in shock before she spoke again. "I'm sure they already have," she finished, showing him that cheerful expression he loved so dearly.

"You're probably right," Naruto chuckled.

* * *

It was getting late, nearly 10:30 pm, and it was time for Akua to finally go home. She convinced herself that she needed to see her mother again, There had to be a confrontation. Naruto accompanied her as she walked home in the middle of the night. "So tell me," Naruto began, "what is your purpose?"

"My purpose?" Akua questioned back.

"For being a ninja."

"Hm…"—she giggled—"Boruto asked the same question. I don't know why I'm such a mystery." She quickly became serious. "I want to gain the strength to go back to Kusagakure and find my brother."

"Ah, I see. Kusagakure's a sticky place right now."

"Yea…"

"I understand how you feel, ya know, wanting to bring someone back to you."

"You do?" Akua said, staring up at the man.

"Yea, in the past, my best friend. He always was. Always has been. Always will be," Naruto finished, staring down at his feet as he walked. A small grin appeared over his chin.

"Sasuke Uchiha, right?"

Naruto frozen for a moment but continued to walk. "How do you know that name?"

"Hima-chan had action figures."

Naruto's heart was throbbing in his chest. But he eventually calmed down. _I see, then she doesn't actually know him_. Akua noticed the troubled expression on the Hokage's face as they walked to her home. After about half an hour, they had arrived to the outskirts of the western end. Her home was only a few minutes away. Akua stopped walking and tugged Naruto's sweater.

"Wait, this is as far as you need to take me. I can walk the rest of the way myself."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"I need to confront her alone. She can probably already sense your presence from this distance since, but if not, I don't want to get into her range. Please."

"Alright…" he sighed, "I understand." Naruto turned to the other direction and began to make his way back home, but before he dashed off he had one last thing to say. "Hey, don't be late tomorrow morning, okay?"

Akua nodded cheerfully and he vanished into thin air. Then she turned to face her imminent fate. Her first step forward was a difficult one, but she eventually made her way towards her little home. Before long, she stood at the front porch of the old shack of a house. Her right hand trembled against the door knob. She couldn't push herself to open it. The knob itself would probably fall off of the door if she kept this up. Akua fell off balance, leaning forward but catching herself, because the door swung open. Karin stood in the frame, peering down into the soul of her young daughter.

And hugged her.

* * *

Karin couldn't take her eyes off of the back of her hand after Akua fled the scene. A small amount of the the child's blood was smeared against her knuckles. _I… drew her blood…_ she said to herself. She was completely gone for a moment. The right hand was the only thing in the universe at the moment. Her eardrums were chiming in her head. Her heart threatened to rip itself out of her chest. She felt as if she was confined, held captive within her own body. Sweat trailed down her face and her muscles spasmed and twitched in place. The world was spinning around her hand. Adrenaline was clogging her lungs. Breathlessness overwhelmed her. Her body gave in, collapsing on her hands and knees. Had she had anything in her stomach, she probably would have thrown up. Her stomach was convulsing on itself and she gagged into the floor. Her cheek pressed against the cold, dusty wood. The vision in her eyes spiraled out, darkness.

The crimson haired woman woke with no clue as to where she was. Panic set in again, and then she remembered. The door in front of her was still open. Karin quickly picked herself up from the ground and staggered to a run out the door. She stood in the middle of the street. The sun had just set. "AKUA!" she screamed into the night sky at the top of her lungs. She switched the direction of her vision rapidly trying to sense her daughter's chakra. She wasn't in range. "AKU﹘!" she wailed this time, choking on her tears. Droplets pelted the dirty road. Akua was nowhere to be found. Karin had to remove her glasses, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears but it was no use. They overwhelmed her as well. With poor vision she stumbled back into house, shutting the door and sliding to the ground with her back against it. Her arms fell limp to her side. Her glasses loosely rested in her left hand. The back of her head tilted into the door and she stared aimlessly into the ceiling. But she couldn't see much. The tears dried up eventually after ten minutes of just letting them run down her face. Her chest was drenched with it's salty residue. That was where she sat for hours, pondering her life. Memories of her mother that she had almost forgotten started to resurface in her mind. Her mother, a selfless woman, dying to secure a safe place for her daughter. Karin's heart fell to pieces. Her mother would've been ashamed of her. Doing all of this, to her own children. It was despicable. They didn't deserve her rage over what someone had done to her. They were just as much victims as she was. Her right hand clutched her chest, pulling against where the heart would be, and grinded her teeth in agony. Her body curled over from the door to the floor, pressing her forehead into the splintering wood. "My daughter…" she mumbled weakly, "my son…" her voice cracked down. "…they're the only good I've ever done… and I've… failed them…" she said to herself. Her hair fell over her head, hiding the shame etched into her pitiful face.

There was a buckling of the knob, and Karin's eyelids shot open. _That chakra…_ she wondered, _could it be?_ Karin quickly scrambled up from the floor, crawling until she got to the door. She opened it to the sight of her frightened daughter. The woman pulled her child into an immediate embrace. Akua could only stare forward in her direction, her head turned to the side by being pressed into her mother's body. Was this actually happening? Akua couldn't believe it. But it was real. Karin's touch was real. The woman wept in her daughter's shoulder.

"Akua… my baby… oh my god, Im so sorry, so, so, so sorry…"—she hiccuped, choking up before speaking again—"for ignoring you, for not being there for you and your brother, for not showing or telling you that I loved you, for everything… and I have no excuse… I understand if you never forgive me, but I don't care. Because I want you to understand you're both my world… and I love you."

Karin was waiting for a response. She felt her daughter's trembling, and her silence was painful. But her arms moved. They steadily rose to lock themselves around her. Akua seemed to have a talent for contracting other people's feelings, for she herself started to break down. The both of them fell to their knees in the frame of the door.

"Mom…"

"…It's ok if you hate me, darling… I've been a terr—"

"I forgive you…"

Her daughter's words and kindness were a blessing sent from the heavens. "…Akua, thank you." They wouldn't let each other go. Not now. They had to make up for all the years they had lost.

* * *

The evening was gone behind the horizon, hundreds of miles to the west of Konoha, and the emptiness of the night painted the sky. Despite this normally being the time when people ended their day, it had only just begun. Kusagakure evolved over the years to become a typical urban city with tall skyscrapers and a bustling night life. Unfortunately, the government was not able to do much to improve the quality of life of its citizens. In other words, if one was not a shinobi, they lived near or below the poverty line. A large, struggling percentage of the population therefore resorted to crime. Downtown Kusa at night was the hearth. This was also where a certain young boy went to hide.

The child ran into a dim-lit alley way. He lost his footing when he entered, crashing into a puddle of murky water. His medium length, messy, jet black hair was soaked along with his blue t-shirt and brown pants. Rising to his hands and knees, he heard the steps of shinobi sandals approach behind him. His eyes closed, waiting and counting. One. Two. Three of them. "Piece of cake," he muttered before pushing off into the air, twirling his body and dropping his heel down into the skull of one of his assailants. He swiftly back-flipped to his feet while the man crumbled. It indeed was a Kusa shinobi, and from the looks of it he was of chunin rank due to the flak jacket he wore. The other two had similar clothing. Both ninja charged the boy with the intent to kill. He leaned to the right, evading the first punch thrown. The boy snatched the wrist of that attacker and wrenched his left arm around unnaturally as he leaped out of the reach of the second man. He could feel the bones snapping out of place in the man's arm. While in mid air, the boy buried the sole of his right foot into the face of the second ninja, sending him tumbling back into the wall of one of the buildings they fought between. He used the shattered arm to vault to the other end of the alley, successfully escaping the assault. The three chunin were left embarrassed by him in the alley way. He had been running for nearly a day, nonstop. It was as if the entire city was after him and he had not the slightest clue as to why. His stomach growled as he flowed through the crowd in the streets and entered another alley. Hungry and exhausted, he stopped to sit, catching his breath. The boy leaned against the wall, with his chest heaving for air. Blood dripped onto his shirt before he whipped it away from his swollen bottom lip. He had already been attacked several times before. He knew it was a bad idea, but couldn't help closing his eyes for a moment. Little did he know someone lurked in the shadows, watching his every move.

His eyes opened again, having sensed the presence of more pursuers. He needed somewhere to rest and fast. The boy forced himself up, using the dumpster to his left as support. He turned down the alley only to be met by the brutal force of a roundhouse to the face. His brain jarred in his skull and he was sent flying into the same dumpster, creating a dent with his body. His vision spun in his head before collecting itself. Standing before him was a short young girl, however older than he. Straight, snow white hair down to the middle of her back danced behind her in the light breeze. Bangs of her hair hung in her face, but didn't obscure her vision. The girl examined the nearly unconscious boy with glossy, platinum irises. She wore a peachy, shoulder-less blouse with long sleeves, pants that blended with the darkness of the alley and sandals to match. Her right hand was propped up on her waist, when she began to speak, "Are you already done? How upsetting." The boy's head rolled on his neck until his chin pressed into his throat.

"So you're after me too"—he spat blood to the ground—"care to tell why?" The girl smirked at his question. She leaned forward and grasped a palmful of his shirt, lifting him from the ground entirely with her left hand.

"Just come with me," she said in a wicked tone before knocking him out cold with a right jab.

The boy awoke in the confines of a small prison cell of some sort. The only light present was in the hallway beyond the bars. He flinched at the pain that stung around the bridge of his nose. It was probably broken. His arms felt heavy and his body stiff. The rattling of metal sounded as he moved around to sit up. He quickly realized he was restricted by thick shackles around his wrist that were chained to the ground. A rusty door screeched open and shut at the end of the hall. Soon, two silhouettes stood in front of the boy's cell, blocking most of the light from entering. One of them carried a lantern however, and the other had a set of jingling keys, trying to open the door. The barred door slid to the left after the tumblers allowed it to open. Shadows that wrapped around the inside of the cell instantly diminished when they entered. The two men were able to see the boy's beaten face. One of the men looked concerned. He had short hair that resembled the color of dead autumn leaves, wore a long white lab coat with a collared shirt underneath complemented by a black tie, and black dress pants. He adjusted the glasses around his eyes, trying to determine whether or not he was actually witnessing this. The other man was indifferent. He was dressed in the Kusa shinobi garb. The lantern that the shinobi carried was placed on a high shelf in the cell before he approached the boy and clenched his throat. "Where did your mommy go, you little shit!" he barked in the boy's face, but all the child was trying to do was breathe. The shinobi threw him into the ground. "You don't wanna talk do ya?" his voice was hoarse and irritating. He held the boy's head in place as he unloaded a fist on his already injured face. "I CAN DO THIS ALL DAY, YA FUCK," boomed the shinobi, continuing his onslaught. The other man pulled him away from the mute boy.

"We won't get any information like this!" he lectured, "At this rate, you'll just kill him!" The child's face was as abused as tenderized meat. Blood was his new complexion.

The shinobi scoffed, "If only she'd have left your sister instead of you… I'd definitely'a got her to talk." He patted the area of his pants that covered his groin with a disgusting sneer. The boy immediately understood the connotation and spat red saliva in his face.

"Talk about my sister that way… and I'll kill you!" But the chains held him back when he tried to lunge at the man, causing him to fall to the ground again. The shinobi wiped the fluid from his skin, chuckling out loud.

"You're defensive of them yet, here you are. Looks like they just left you behind. You don't know anything because they don't care about you. You're trash, dead weight—"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" cried the boy, interrupting the shinobi. The man found amusement in the bloody tears running down the child's bruised face. The man in the white coat was helpless. He was in no position to stop this from happening, but someone else was. A third figure stepped into the doorway of the cell. His overwhelming presence caused all three individuals inside to tremble. The shinobi felt choked by the feel of his chakra. The man in the white lab coat knelt upon realization.

"G-Ginzen-sama?!"

Lord Ginzen stepped into the light of the lantern. His combed back hair was a wavy slab of soft obsidian. Sharp features and pronounced cheekbones defined his face, complimented by the neatly kept goatee that wrapped around his mouth and chin. The room was chilled by the pale chrome winter-breeze of his deep set eyes. He wore a black, military flak jacket with golden eastern dragon designs embroidered into it. It was tucked underneath a ruby red cloth that hugged his waist. Black shinobi pants and boots were fashioned and he covered his uniform with a dark, general's long cape. His icy stare focused in on the abusive shinobi. Cold sweat streamed down the man's face. "Leave us at once, while you still can," he ordered in a deep, sophisticated voice. The shinobi hurried for the cell door, but it was blocked by a young white haired girl. She stepped past him, twirling a kunai knife on her index finger as he crumbled to the floor in a pool of his own blood. The man in the lab coat gulped in the corner of the cell. He couldn't even see the girl's attack.

"Too slow," she chirped happily.

The boy did not recognize the man. It was the first he had ever been graced with his presence. He shifted his attention and noticed the girl from before who stood by his side, "Tanoshimi… what are you doing here, and who… is this?" Tanoshimi remained silent and allowed Ginzen to speak.

"My identity is not of your concern, child. Not yet." He looked to the man whimpering on his knees in the corner. "You. Stand up. Present your case." He quickly followed the demand. He rose from the floor with his hands tight to his side and head bowed.

"Yessir," he started. "Approximately 48 hours ago, a top secret experimental substance was stolen from the research and development division laboratory. We were… attempting to synthesize it into a weapon to be utilized, for the sake of Kusagakure. All research materials and records were destroyed during the raid," he rambled on, "we're certain that it was the mother of this child whom is with us now. Her image has been captured on surveillance cameras. Through further investigation… we've determined that the mother is of Uzumaki descent. Moreover, one of the instructors of our advanced ninja education program was assassinated. We believe she was behind his death due to his discovering of their collective lineage." Ginzen shut his eyes, absorbing all of the information that was just conveyed to him. He noticed how quickly he sped through mentioning their experiment.

"Why was I not aware of this… side project development?" The scientist felt the condescending tone weigh him down.

"W-we… s-started the project before Ethur arrived, sir…"

"Then that is your problem to deal with," he surmised.

"But—"

His feeble speech was halted by the raising of Ginzen's hand. He was completely removed from the thought of Kusagakure operating in secret. There were other topics that were of significance. For example, the boy's origin. "This woman, she was crimson of hair, yes?"

The scientist slowly nodded.

"A distinct characteristic of the Uzumaki clan. I've come across her before, but only from a distance." His attention shifted to the boy that sat before him. He crouched to his level and nudged his chin upwards with his right hand. "I should have known. Your kind are an omen after all." Terror enveloped the eyes of the boy. He was staring death in the face. The frost of Ginzen's glare paralyzed him. Bloody perspiration flowed down to his chin. It stained the lord's gloves but he did not seem to mind.

"Those of Ōtsutsuki descent are to be apprehended and executed, are they not?" Tanoshimi asked blatantly. Her revelation made the boy twitch in fear. The girl wondered why Ginzen took so long to assess him.

"That is true."

"Are you going to kill him now?" she continued.

"Perhaps," Ginzen responded, "what is your name, boy?"

It was customary for an individual ask the name of their potential victim. It was an honor that was granted just before death. The boy was aware of this. He took one last deep breath before replying.

"My name, is Senshi."

* * *

 **A/N: Quite a few revelations, no? This was probably my favorite chapter to write so far. I'm sorry for skipping the conversation Naruto had with his caller, but we'll get to see it soon, I promise!**

 **I'll be posting a link to my deviantart account within the next couple of days to my profile bio. I've had it for a while but never truly planned on using it until now so I guess you could say it's still new. There I'll be posting a promo drawing for chapter four within a week or so. Other drawings and concept art of some of the OC's in this story will be posted occasionally as well. Most will correspond with a chapter. Feel free to follow me on deviantart for art updates!**

 **Lastly, I wanted to say that I appreciate all of the support through follows and favorites I get from you guys and I want you to keep reviewing my work. I like to read your guys' feedback on the chapter, whether it be something you liked or something I need to improve on. It really makes my day to get those notifications. Thank you for reading!**


	4. Identity

**A/N: Here is the link to the promo if you'd like to view before reading the chapter. I wasn't able to successfully place it on my profile bio to my understanding. You'll have to edit out the spaces once you copy and paste.**

 **Deviantart: synystersketch .deviantart .com**

 **Ch.4**

 **Identity**

Today was the day. It was dark until Akua's eyelids began to open, and the view of her ceiling became clearer. Her bedroom was located in the side hallway of the house near the kitchen. The smell of freshly cooked breakfast seeped its way into her room. However, she was still a little too lazy to get out of bed. Her head turned to her left, where her alarm clock was located. It was on the floor, as was the sleeping mat she used for a bed that night. There were no futon or mattresses in the house, and Karin didn't manage to purchase anything furniture as of yet. The clock read 6:04 am. She had 56 minutes before she'd be late for her first day at the academy. Akua looked back to the ceiling and her outstretched left palm sharpened into view. Everything behind it became less focused. Her fingers curled together and her fist clenched. The friction against her skin could be heard if close enough. "I can't waste my time here… I'm probably already behind." She rose up from the sleeping mat and the sheets rolled off her body. Messy black strands of hair hung in her face and she looked up from her fist to the bedroom door. "I'll show them what I can do." Her fine shaped, dark eyebrows sunk into seriousness. Sheets fluttered from her body when she flung herself from the mat, landing on the tips of her toes with grace. The clothes Boruto had given her last night were still adorned. She couldn't go out with these. Akua's bag was on the other side of the room. Within it was a pair of black tights. It had a violet trim along the waist that extended as a thin line down the outside of the legs and wrapped around her ankles. There was also a fitted, sleeveless combat shirt to match, except it had no trim. It was tight around the collar and arms but loose as the fabric went down her torso yet still clung to the comfortable gray sports bra underneath. The girl sifted through her bag, retrieving a pair of glistening gloves cut low at the fingers that matched her eyes. She had everything she needed.

After changing her clothing, Akua tossed Boruto's to the side, swearing she would wash and return them another time. She approached the her door and held the knob before looking back at her small, empty room. The only thing of any sort of significance was the window above her mat in the stone wall. Dawn's light gleamed through the its glass onto the creaking wooden floors. The girl turned her head and exited, shutting the door behind her. _I'll get us out of this_ , she told herself as she entered the kitchen. There was no running water yet, as she skipped a bath this morning, but there was working gas. She realized this when seeing the empty pan scraps of some sort of cooking left in it on the stove. There was a table in the middle of the kitchen. On it was a plate of scrambled eggs and bread. A glass of orange juice along with a small written note was sitting next to it. Akua fetched and examined it. It was from her mother.

' _Good morning, Akua. I apologize for not being there with you right now. I have a couple things I need to do. I went out and bought some food for you earlier. The refrigerator is full of it. I made those eggs for you, so please enjoy them. You'll need the energy for your first day. Go out there and show them what you can do! Anyways, I probably won't be home for a few days, but I know you can handle yourself while I'm gone. Take care! - Mom_ '

Akua giggled. This new relationship with her mother was beyond anything she could conjure in her mind. Karin had told her about her epiphany the night before. It all seemed too perfect, but she couldn't ask for anything more. However, there were still years of pain that wouldn't heal over night. Both of them were aware of this. They were taking baby steps now. However long it may take, they were on track for healthy development. She sat down at the table and began to eat. She dug a fork into her eggs and tried to enjoy it as much as she could. Karin wasn't a great cook, but eggs were eggs. The orange juice compensated for them however. The liquid itself was a bright color, almost lighting the room like its own sun and made Akua's taste buds tickle from it's strong, tangy and vibrant taste. When she finished she thought about her mother's note. Questions arose as to what she was actually doing. Perhaps it had something to do with her confiscated item. Either way, it didn't bother her much anymore. Karin was correct about Akua being able to handle herself, so there was no worry. _Hm, I'll probably just hang out at Boruto's house_ , she concluded. It was 6:30 am now. She had to get going. The Academy district was about three miles to the northeast of her home. Akua opened the refrigerator and grabbed two green apples for lunch. She wrapped them in cloth and stuffed them in her bag. After packing her things for the day, she placed her dishes in the sink. Her black sandals were waiting for her at the door. She put them on in haste and ran out the door, shutting it in her wake.

The eager girl's lungs filled with the fresh morning air of Konoha. Everything was quiet and peaceful. There was little nature in her neighborhood. All of the houses hugged each other. Compared to her home, they looked like mansions. A thin path cut through them as the road, ending with Akua's home. Bicycles, old motorized vehicles, and trash cans lined up along the sides of the street. She began to sprint along the curved path, wanting to arrive as soon as possible. It felt like the faster she ran, the faster she became a ninja and the closer she would be to finding her lost brother. Her body zoomed past pedestrians who stood on the sidewalks. Hats and newspapers went loose, flying in the current behind her. Her bag jolted around on her back and her hair danced in the wind. She had to be quick if she wanted to catch the 6:35 train. There was some leftover ryō behind the note Karin wrote for her daughter. She intended to use some of it to pay for her ticket.

The local stop came into view with two minutes to spare. Akua could hear the blaring horn of the train as it approached. She bought a ticket at one of the convenience machines and waited at the track. About two dozen individuals were present, a mix between men, women, children, teenagers and shinobi. Some were just passing through the area. Others either sat down in benches near the tracks or stood waiting along the edge. The train pulled into the station at last, slowing to a complete stop. The doors slid open for passengers to either exit or enter. There weren't that many people to exit or on the train at all, however. It was still quite early before the rush. Akua climbed into an empty car by Konoha's standards, but she did not mind. It was to her liking that she'd be able to take her own seat. The steel doors were sealed shut, and the vehicle jolted itself into motion. The train was on an express to the Academy district. During the trip, Akua passed through the central district of downtown Konoha, Rasen. It was named this because of Naruto's efforts in the war. It was a perfect example of the mix of modern and traditional structures within Konoha. Tall buildings stood next to the shorter, more intricate ones. Open stalls and shops decorated the streets, just starting to open up for the day. Cyclists zoomed through roads yet to become busy and people minded themselves while some interacted with others. Not to mention, the space was abundant. There was enough room for plant life such as oak trees and shrubbery to coexist with the civilization. Everything blended with each other in colorful harmony. It was a sharp contrast to Kusa, which she despised. It was dull and unlively. No one payed attention to anyone on the streets and crime was rampant. The train cruised smoothly along a straight path for the most part. The ride lasted ten minutes before arriving at one of the many stops in the Academy district. It was 6:46 am. The building Akua was supposed to report to was a block away.

When Akua walked through the glass door of the multi-story Academy building, she was directed to the main office. There, she was given a room number and instructed to report immediately. Class would begin in ten minutes. Her room was located on the third floor, with the third year students. That was how the building was organized with six floors in total. The average academy student started at seven years of age and graduated when they were twelve. There were always outliers, though. Akua scaled the stairs to the third floor like she was told and travelled down the hall until she found the correct room. She soon stood before it, gulping down the anxiety she possessed, and slid the door open. "Well, well, well… Look who decided to show up," called her favorite annoying voice.

"Ugh…whose idea was it to put me in a class with you…" she fired back with sarcastic despondence. The entire classroom was silent, even the instructor, observing the two students' conversation.

"What's that suppose ta mean, ya dummy!"

"Maybe exactly what it does, hm?"

"Go to hell," Boruto joked.

"After you," Akua smiled.

"Alright, that's enough. Please miss, you must be Akua, correct?" interrupted the instructor, Shino Aburame. She nodded at his assumption, noticing the scrutinizing stares of all the other academy students, but didn't pay attention to them. "You may take a seat anywhere," said Aburame.

The room was on a slope towards the ceiling on the left as one would walk it. Three columns and three separate rows of seating were present. Akua observed the room carefully for any open spots. There were a few, but she did not want to sit next to any one. Therefore, she took her seat across the room to the last column in the first row. Other students that walked in a few minutes after her noticed how she sat near the aisle so that no one else could possible sit with her. They already were not off to a good start. She was the 'new kid' after all, and they weren't supposed to be bold. Akua peeked into the malicious eyes of her new classmates once more. She could clearly hear their whispering gossip of how she was a foreigner. News surely did spread fast.

The seven o'clock bell rang and Shino closed the door to the classroom. "Very well then. Class has begun. As you can see, we have a new student. She is Akua of Kusagakure"—he gestured towards her—"please treat her with kindness and respect." But that was easier said than done.

* * *

The students received a thirty minute lunch break after the day's main lesson. When it was over, they would have shinobi kumite class. In the meanwhile, they were free to either have their lunch in the classroom, go to the cafeteria, or leave the building to one of the nearby restaurants so long as they returned on time. It was recommended that they refrain from eating too much, otherwise it would hinder their performance. That and they could also lose their lunch. However, this rule was not stressed. It was up to the students to determine their own fate. Boruto had a lunch that his mother packed for him, thus he elected to remain in the class. The hyperactive boy leaped across his desk in the center column and into the aisle to his left. He made his way down the stairs to Akua's desk. He was able to see the right side of her body from here he was. Her head seemed to be tilted down a bit and she wasn't moving. She'd been like that for half the lesson, something that bothered Boruto. When he arrived however, his suspicions were not exactly what he expected. In fact, his expression spelled out 'what the hell'. Akua was sound asleep in her seat. Her left cheek slouched in the adjacent palm that was propped up on the desk by her elbow. What was even more confounding was how Aburame Sensei wasn't able to notice her. How audacious of the girl to fall asleep in class on the first day. Boruto was upset that she was able to disrespect the Sensei easily and he wasn't. He shoved her arm support away and her forehead dented into the desk. The impact caused her body to reel back in pain, grasping the spot with both her hands.

"Agh! What's your deal, you loser, that hurt!" she complained.

"What're you doin'?" he questioned.

"Well, I was trying to sleep."

"In the middle of class?"

"I was bored."

Boruto's expression fell flat. She was bored. A simple, yet unbelievable answer. He sighed then began to chuckle. The chuckle transformed into hysterical laughter. Akua didn't understand what was so funny about her answer. "Hm…"—her eyes darted around the sparsely populated classroom—"what do you want, where is everyone?"

"Lunch time," he replied, shoving himself into the seat and pushing her further in.

"Who said you could sit next to me?" she scowled.

"No one, I just did it. Problem?"

"Yes," she lied.

"Too bad," he said, unravelling his homemade bento lunch box. Hinata had prepared some of her special Onigiri. Akua sighed and opened her bag, withdrawing the apples she brought with her. Her eyes shifted, focusing through the window as her teeth crunched into the fruit. Her bites had already torn through the first apple to the core after only a few seconds and she was midway through the second one. Boruto had not even bitten into his first of nine rice balls yet. Although it didn't dawn on her, Akua's appetite was absolutely ravenous. It reminded him of his mother. She could put food away if she wanted to as well. Boruto looked back to his lunch after he'd taken his first couple bites. Why would his mother give him so many. She knew he wasn't one to eat them all. Food didn't appeal to him like that, or perhaps. He immediately noticed the growling of Akua's stomach. She tried to pretend it didn't happen, but he could see the figurative bead of sweat running down the side of her head while she looked away. Hinata must have had a feeling that Akua might get hungry during lunch and packed extra Onigiri. "Hey, Ku-chan," Boruto called, sliding over his bento, "want some?"

"Huh… are you sure?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Yea, why—" he was immediately cut off by Akua's swiping of three rice balls. Her hair twirled around as her head snapped back towards the window, hiding the embarrassment. Boruto was proud he was able to force her to feel that way. He saw it as a triumph against the unbreakable.

* * *

About half way across the classroom sat a girl with a distinguishable pair of red glasses. Her crow black hair was cut at the neck with bangs that were swept to the left. She had a pair of chopsticks in her grasp as she lunched on the Maki sushi her mother prepared for her. The girl focused her pearly black eyes on something else however. It was Boruto Uzumaki, and the new student that he was sitting with. The unnatural sight of her friend offering someone he shouldn't know his undivided attention baffled her. Not only was he sitting with her, but he shared his lunch with the girl. She'd never seen him do that before either, not even with his own friends. Suspicious inquiries surfaced about this odd, raven haired student that made her feel uneasy. "Sarada!" announced a voice near her. When Sarada refocused, she realized that the girl named Chō-Chō stood before her in the aisle. "You seem all weird. What's the matter?"

"It's nothing," she responded, not finding any interest in talking to her friend.

"I couldn't help but notice you ogling Boruto and his new friend over there, though. If it's troubling you so much, maybe you should introduce yourself," she finished and wandered off with her bag of chips. She didn't give her a chance to reply. She was one who Sarada would usually go to when something bothered her. But this new female was now the center of her attention. The moment the girl's amethyst eyes met Sarada's own dark pupils when she walked in solidified this.

Sarada placed the box that her lunch was in back into her satchel. She left it there when she got up from her seat. The Uchiha made her way down the aisle on the opposite side of the room of Boruto and began to approach them. As she got closer, she was able to see more of the student named Akua. She was gazing outside while eating one of Boruto's rice balls. Each bite was made with a smile on her face; it appeared as though the two were having a conversation as they ate together. Sarada frozen in her tracks when she witnessed Akua's hair fluttering around with her head. Did she notice her approaching? No, she was just responding to Boruto. Their voices were melded into the noise of the room, emitted by the other students that still remained. Sarada caught another glimpse of those intimidating eyes. She couldn't decide whether or not it was beauty or malevolence that exuded from them. There was a perfect contrast between them and her ivory skin. Everything about her facial features just seemed the fall into place. When she was within a few feet of them she was able to tune in on their conversation.

"…and you wouldn't guess—" Boruto's voice halted when he noticed Akua's attention shift to the approaching female. Boruto turned to face her. "Oh, hey Sarada."

"Hey Boruto… who's your new friend?" Sarada asked. She had a stern tone that sounded like she was demanding him to tell her rather than it being a question.

"This is Ku-ch—"

"My name is Akua,"—her hand reach over the desk— "nice to meet you, Sarada." Akua wore a warm smile on her face. She couldn't see the disgust of her hand in Sarada's eyes because hers were closed. The Uchiha ignored the new student, and continued to speak to Boruto.

"Isn't it a little too soon to be so friendly with a stranger?"

"She's not a stranger to me," he retorted. Akua's arm hadn't moved since it was left stranded over the desk. She still wore the welcoming expression, waiting for herself to be acknowledge. Boruto noticed Akua's position next to him. "Sarada she's trying to say hello, just because you're an Uchiha doesn't mean you have to act all tough n'cool."

Akua's ear twitched at the sound of the word Uchiha. It was the second time she'd heard the name since she came to Konoha. "Hm, Uchiha… do you by any chance know Sasuke Uchiha?" she started again. And again she was ignored. Her eye twitched. Sarada reached for Boruto's arm.

"C'mon, I have to—"

Akua, who was trapped on the inside of the seat, appeared between Boruto and Sarada, cutting the Uchiha off. It was as if the they moved in slow motion compared to her. Before Sarada could realize it, Akua's right fist was full of her sleeveless qipao shirt all the way up to her chin. She gulped her heart down into her stomach, paralyzed with fear. Her onyx eyes trembled underneath the beam of Akua's ghastly glare piercing into her soul. Boruto almost fell out of the seat by her quick movement. _What was that speed… what is she doing…_ Sarada thought, frightened beyond comprehension. Sweat reamed down her face. Akua tightened her grip and pulled her close. All the other students in the room ceased their activity and focused in on the confrontation of the two girls.

"Hm, so you think you can act like I don't exist?"Akua growled. Sarada was petrified. Her mouth hung open but words failed to form. "Let me tell you something, Missy Uchiha. I'm tired of being ignored and disrespected. Now, you're going to answer my questions, okay? Okay," she commanded. "Do you know Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Yes," Sarada hesitated, "h-he's my father…"

"Why is his right eye red."

"Are you talking about the Sharingan?" she asked.

"Yea, sure, that."

"It's a visual dojutsu unique to the Uchiha Clan."—Sarada's tone fixed and she ripped Akua's hand from her clothing—"What's it to you, anyway?!" Anyone could see Sarada was still quite shaken despite the short display of confidence she just had. She was known as the most difficult, ambiguous individuals to approach successfully in the entire academy. Yet her classmates just witnessed her get taken down a notch. Akua didn't answer the girl, serving her the same treatment she had previously dished out. She watched Akua turn and step down onto the main floor of the room. The girl fixed her eyes behind her to face Sarada again.

"If you have such a problem with me talking to Boruto, maybe you should clean up that attitude so you can flirt a little better, you stuck up bitch. You don't have any competition anyways, I'm not interested," she growled, grabbing her bag from the desk. Akua stomped past several students in the classroom as she approached the exit. The sliding door slammed behind her, the sound exploding up and down the hall.

* * *

Every student succeeded in returning back to the classroom within the time constraint, except for one that left a few minutes before it ended. Instructor Aburame was taking attendance when he noticed Akua was missing. However, the young girl barged into the room right before he was able to call her name. She calmly walked across in silence as everyone watched her every move, similar to when she first entered. Shino wasn't present in the room for the spectacle that occurred only several minutes ago, but he too felt intimidated by the girl and didn't want to bother her. She was checked of as on time. When Akua approached her original desk, she found that Boruto had been sitting there still, waiting for her return. When she took her seat next to him, Shino announced where the the Shinobi Kumite class would take place and instructed everyone to report there immediately. A mass of bodies rose from their seats and filed out of the classroom. Akua remained seated until the crowd left the room before she would follow. Boruto sat behind with her. She hadn't said a word to him since she returned even though only a minute or two passed. It was his first time experiencing his friend with such a tangible rage. The moment he finally decided to say something to her, she pulled away from the desk and started towards the kumite room.

Akua followed her class to a courtyard outside, located within the school campus. Their sensei was already there waiting for them, along with another individual. Shino introduced this person as Iruka. He would help to oversee the combat. Iruka Sensei had a clipboard with the names of all 28 students in the class. Beside their name was a list of their credentials. It recorded their proficiency in each shinobi aspect such as ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, the main three. Boruto Uzumaki was at the top of the list with the highest rankings. The person who came in close second was Shikadai Nara. In third place was Sarada Uchiha, so on and so forth. However there was one individual at the end of the list that possessed no records at all, Akua. Iruka concluded that he might use this opportunity to gain some intel on the girl. The first spar would be between her and someone towards the middle of the list. "Welcome students," he began, "today is your bi-weekly, scheduled kumite session. The art of taijutsu is one of the most essential weapons in a shinobi's arsenal. One must learn to hone their skills in order to progress in development with chakra control and ninjutsu. Thus, we shall begin. Our first bout will be between our new student, Akua, and—"

"I want Sarada," Akua demanded, pushing through the crowd in order to face Iruka. "In fact"—she turned to face her class before leaping back into the grounds, distancing herself—"Sarada, and anyone who wants to help her out. Step forward now." Akua had the entire class in her sights and she didn't seem to flinch at all from her bold request.

"There are no uneven battles here!" reprimanded Iruka, but Akua didn't want to listen. She was hellbent and determined to the bone, so much so that Iruka had a change of heart the moment he caught her steel gaze. Sarada stepped to the front of the class to establish her dominance. She adjusted her arm warmers, pulling them closer to the middle of her bicep.

"If you want to get pummelled that badly, then be my guest," coaxed Sarada. Her friend Chō-Chō stepped up to the plate as well, followed by a boy who appeared to be a descendant of the inuzuka clan. He set his puppy down to sit this one out. Two other males stepped into the ring after him. Unfortunately for them, these three were not in the building when Akua pressed Sarada. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into. Sarada and Chō-Chō on the other hand were quite confident in their abilities, especially with a five versus one. They would surely put this brave new student in her place. The rest of the class stood watch on the side lines. Boruto simply observed, he didn't want to get himself involved. Inojin wouldn't enter without Shikadai, and he was too lazy to accept Akua's challenge. He also could tell he probably wouldn't have been of any use.

"Those idiots," Shikadai laughed, knowing full well what was about to happen.

Akua eyed each and every one of her five opponents. Twenty-two other students sat with anticipation. Aburame Sensei's arm hesitated before he chopped it down. "Hajime!" he said, commencing the bout.

The boy from the Inuzuka charged immediately as the others were just getting braced. He seemed to be one of the faster students of the class. However, his speed was not frightening to the girl that he approached. Akua stood still as he took an abrupt step and his feet skidded across the dirt. Akua was able to raise both of her hands into her fighting stance, palms open and her feet spread, slightly bent. The Inuzuka's right arm dragged across the air before the girl, pulling his body and torque around for his left hand. His claw swiped air as Akua leaned to her right, and made a swift counter clockwise twirl. After just one revolution, she reached with her right hand and tugged the wrist of the boy's first strike as he was left in her wake. With tremendous force, his arm was pulled back against his momentum into her direction. Akua's legs spread out to establish a base in the middle of her second revolution and threw the boy over her shoulder. The inuzuka's back connected with her own as his body rolled over, being forced face first into the dirt. There was a flash of kicked up dust and panicked gasping. To spectators, Akua had the boy sprawling around on the gravel within a matter of about 2 seconds after his charge. He quickly got to his feet a couple yards in front of Sarada and the others, starting to charge in haste. But he was quickly met by Akua's left heel that spun all the way around into his left temple. The boy felt his brain rattle in his skull before collapsing from her strike. His body curled up in the ground to the right. Akua fixed her gaze from him to her other four opponents, but at that moment the other two males, both having sarutobi emblems on their shirts, sprinted to encircle her.

Akua's eyes darted between the two boys approaching from both of her sides. They appeared to have some experience with working together. When they were near, they tried to confuse the girl by converging and switching places. She noticed the one who drew to the front was running up high while the other scaled lower than he. Their attack pattern was immediately deciphered before they even threw their first punch. As she predicted, the boy that ran up, who also was a bit taller and had black hair attacked first, launching a barrage of punches Akua's way. The girl leaned and dodged around each of his would be blows, her body moving like the liquid in a shaken cup. She stepped back as he pushed forward, the occasional forearm block and palm redirection from Akua keeping him from being the least bit effective. The shorter boy, who had brown hair, zoomed around as the black haired Sarutobi followed up on her with a roundhouse with his right leg. She crouched underneath while the kick sailed over her head, but at the same time the second boy entered the with a forward sliding sweep. Akua's eyes shifted to the sweep for a split second before her left leg spun counter clockwise. When the first sarutobi brought his leg down around his body, her left foot found his neck. At this point the girl was airborne, using the boy's body as he stumbled and her leg to propel herself above the sweep. The brown haired boy planted his hands into the dirt to stop himself. All he could see was his brother keeling over and Akua nowhere in sight, not even above him because she'd already landed behind himself. The sound of sandals against soil met his hears and he whipped around with a right hook. But he was stopped by Akua's violent glinting right fist uppercutting into his stomach with her hips thrown into the strike, followed immediately by a left hook of her own that burrowed into the boy's cheek. His brother hit the ground. Then he crashed on his back. His head hung to the left while grabbing at the pain in his face. The speed at which Akua moved was inscrutable. The two chunin level ninja who spectated couldn't see anything. To them, they heard the blunt sounds of combat and saw two bodies hitting the floor at the same time.

The fist of the girl pulled back to her side and she slid into a regular stance. Her head turned to face the two remaining opponents. Sarada felt shot by Akua's vicious glare. Three classmates lay defeated on the ground around the violet eyed girl. The fact that she was able to defeat them so effortlessly enraged her. Akua could see the frustration in her eyes. Sarada's teeth were grinding against each other. Fingers clenched into her palms as she formed fists at her sides. On the other spectrum was Chō-Chō. Akua saw fear in her eyes, so much that she trembled, sweat, and even took a step back. "Chō-Chō. Stay with me here, we can do this," Sarada reassured, sensing her friend's terror. But she had reason. Any rational person could see that this new girl was not normal. What produced the most trepidation was the apathy in her facial expression as she ruthlessly beat down the three students. She hadn't flinched once. Boruto, who stood bewildered on the sidelines noticed this feature as well. It was as if she'd snapped into a different person upon the words 'Hajime'.

A devilish smirk spread to Akua's right ear while everyone accessed her. At that moment Chō-Chō collapsed. She stared into the ground on her hands and knees, her breathing erratic and raspy. Her body was washed in fear induce sweat. Panic set in. Sarada dropped to her knees to try and comfort her, but there was no use. Akua's presence was enough to destroy her will to fight. Sarada's fury intensified. Akua had to be defeated. As the third ranked student in the class, she was more than confident that she could put her in her place. The students Akua had taken down were actually on the lower end of the list. Thus, as each present individual's assessment of Akua was complete, a few other students on the sideline changed their minds.

The next twelve students underneath Sarada in rank—other than Inojin who was rank four and Chō-Chō at rank seven—leapt into the fray, hungry for battle, and each ready to get a piece of Akua for themselves. Most of them were fed up with how composed she was. Others were there mostly due to peer pressure among the class. Iruka was ready to end the match when they entered, but Akua gestured him not to. The girl exhaled when she saw her twelve new opponents, then looked up to face them. "Are you going to come at me one by one like these three," she asked, "or are you going to attack me all at once." The students were silent until one spunky girl spoke up.

"Let's just beat her up already," she declared as she made her way to the front of the group, sprinting towards Akua. Little did the brave girl know that Akua was no longer going on the defensive. Her raven black hair fluttered as she dashed towards the girl, evading her fist punch and driving her left knee into her solar plexus. The girl's body bent over Akua's strike, her feet lifting from the ground. When the knee retracted, her left hand chopped into the back of the girl's neck. She collapsed into the floor behind the relentless violet eyed beast. Akua charged forward to the crowd. They attempted a similar method of attack as the Sarutobi brothers previously. Unfortunately, it was even less successful.

Despite having opponents on all sides, she saw each of their attacks as if they moved in time lapse. Her body shifted, evaded, and jumped by punches and kicks from at least six individuals who were at the vanguard of the assault. Within a split second, her elbow caved a boy's stomach, her knee smashed a girl's nose, and her right hook knocked out another girl's tooth.

"Three down," she said under her breath.

Akua's eyes darted from student to student. She was in the center of chaos. She blocked punches and threw her own, caught legs and tossed them elsewhere. Her intensive taijutsu style allowed her to switch her attack to the next person even before she finished landing a blow on the previous student. Moreover, Akua showed off her acrobatic abilities. She transitioned from her feet to her palms, twisting and sliding them across the ground in an elaborate manner. Her hips swivelled as she used all parts of her legs to strike. Gyrating spin kicks, heels to the chin, knees to the chest, and soles of her sandals to the face. The battle was like a dance to her. Four more bodies fell around her and it became terribly easy to her displeasure. Akua went from her hands, and leaped to straddle the shoulders of a girl. Her thighs smothered the girl's face, causing her to flail blindly. Three of her classmates rushed to help yet, Akua was constantly, not one, but at least two steps ahead of her combatants. She planted her palms into the girl's cranium, and hoisted herself up into a handstand. All three fist converged into the girl's temples and face. As she collapsed, Akua pushed off. In an aerodynamic display, she landed a roundhouse, spinning back hook kick, and another round house in that order by just springing from victim to victim. Four more bodies hit the ground when she landed. The last student approached through the air from behind with a fist loaded for her blind side. Nevertheless, Akua knew he was present, knew exactly where he was. Her right leg wheeled around and the side of her foot sniped him out of mid air. "Twelve."

The first ounce of damage Akua sustained was the bare fist of Sarada firing into her abdomen when she turned to face her. The attack was the only one to catch her by surprise. It was enough to slow Akua down, causing her to step back. But Sarada was persistent. She had it set in her mind that her power far exceeded those beneath and those above her, for she had inherited the intricate chakra control and monstrous strength of her mother, Sakura. Sarada landed several more rattling blows to Akua's body, followed by a sidekick to her diaphragm and a back kick to the chin that whiplashed her head. Inojin and Boruto stood surprised at Sarada's ability. Shikadai was asleep on the floor next to them. Each of Sarada's attacks had Akua falling back for once. The girl was staggering, eyes hidden behind black bangs.

Violet finally broke the darkness behind Akua's hair. Sarada didn't hesitate on her assault, however. Akua met each of Sarada's strikes with the softness of her palms. The sharp sounds of skin coming in vicious contact with skin characterized their rapid combat. Chakra blasted off of Sarada's fists each time they were blocked, resembling a sparring match between Hyuga's. The purple eyed girl sifted around the Uchiha on occasion, forcing her to desperately chase after with punches. It became difficult for Sarada to keep up with the movement.

Every once in awhile, there was an opening in Sarada's defense which was exploited. Each time it was found she was stunned by Akua's heavy punches to her torso. Each time Sarada would swing and miss afterwards. She felt herself wearing out. At one point, Akua spun out of her sight after an attempt to hit her. Black eyes darted around in search of her until Sarada realized that the girl was against her back, turning in the opposite direction as she. Her arm whipped behind but Akua was already above her. The swift girl's leg dropped into Sarada's crossed forearms, the beginning of a brutal offensive.

Akua's feet planted against the dirt after her airborne axe kick had broken Sarada's defense. Her body seemed to flash before the Uchiha. Fists blurred into Sarada's face and body, torturing unpleasant cries from the once confident girl. Akua noticed her dragging air into her lungs, but she herself hadn't broken much of a sweat. And she didn't let up. Sarada would heave in oxygen only to have it knocked out of her seconds later. It was like Akua took pleasure in watching her suffer. It was clear to someone such as Boruto, who watched from afar, that the heat of battle changed her. Perhaps it was the reason he was searching for, as to why he felt intimidated.

Sarada's sluggish movements came to a stop for a moment. She'd finally pulled herself together and was able to lean to the left of Akua's right hook. She bent her right leg then transferred all of her weight to the other. Her left arm curled down with her body as her hips generated the maximum amount of power she could produce in the other fist. When her arm thrusted forward, Akua's left cheek rippled under the brutal force of Sarada's knuckles, transferring through the rest of her face. A small shockwave thundered off upon contact, significant enough to disturb the air. But Akua only stepped back, her head tilted in the direction of the punch. Sarada's fist was still firmly printed into the side of her face. Sarada was confused. _That should have sent her flying into next week_ , she thought to herself. Akua's hair fell back to frame her face after all the energy quelled. With Sarada's fist still pressed against her, she forced her head back to the left steadily.

"Hm. Is… that all you've got?" Akua questioned. She gripped Sarada's wrist and removed it from her face, revealing the damage it did to her skin. Blood trickled down her cheek from a gash. The young Uchiha girl's wrist ground to dust in Akua's hand. Her wail was loud enough to be heard in a half mile radius. "I guess that's to be expected when I decide to take you seriously," she continued, rolling her fingers against the girl's bones. Sarada wanted to crumble, but Akua wouldn't let her. Desperately trying to peel Akua's grasp away, Sarada was met with a low, serious toned voice; unbudging and solid like the vice grip. "I don't think you know what it means to be a shinobi. That's why you won't be able to defeat me."

Akua delivered a similar yet less dramatic punch in the form of her right hook. A tapping fragment of her strength was enough to topple the girl frozen by disbelief. The lenses broke away from her glasses when it hit the floor, followed by her body. Sarada fell on her hands and scraped her knees. Although her vision was less precise, for the first time she noticed the mangled bodies of her classmates around her. It was enough to coerce her lunch to come up and out onto the ground. Strands of her hair fell in her face as she squinted at Akua's eyes. But she was booted to the ground, resulting in her complete falter. "I dislike the way you look at me," Akua scolded. Sarada hadn't been beaten as bad as the other students, but like Chō-Chō, she had lost the will to fight and was ready to pass out. Akua wiped the scratch on her cheek of blood and stepped over the bodies of seventeen unconscious academy students to stand next to Boruto on the side. She turned towards her instructors and waved with a frighteningly pleasant smile.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki stood behind his desk in the Hokage's Mansion, taking in the view of Konoha when he heard a knock on his door. This was probably the shinobi he requested to report to him. "Come in," he said, allowing the person to enter. The sound of the opening door caught Naruto's ears, causing him to turn to see who was coming through it. He was glad to see the head of a middle-aged, silver haired, masked man pop in from the frame of the door before the rest of his body came in.

"Yo, Naruto," greeted his former sensei and predecessor, Kakashi Hatake.

The former Sixth Hokage entered the room. He was accompanied by a young kunoichi. She was chūnin of rank, sporting the new style of Konoha's grass green flak jackets. Underneath was the typical shinobi garb of black clothing and sandals. She wore a standard black forehead protector, and her shaggy black hair framed her face. Naruto immediately recognized her because of the bright, scarlet ripple she had in her eyes. This was Kurenai's daughter, who resembled her mother much so. "What you called me here for isn't too confidential, right? Is Mirai allowed to be here?"

"I suppose," Naruto debated, "You trust her don't you?"

"Of course. She is my aid after all."

"Then she can stay."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Mirai said, bowing before closing the door and stepping to the side of the room so that the two adults could talk.

Naruto took a seat behind his desk and rested his back into the chair. He cleared the top of all other work materials and papers. The laptop upon the desk beeped with a new email. The tips of the bandaged fingers on his right hand tapped into the keys and he slid his middle finger along the mouse pad. The mechanisms of the printer at his feet click and clacked to life as a thin sheet emerged from the small tray on the side. Naruto reached down to retrieve it while he gestured his left hand to Kakashi, signalling him to hold a moment before they began. He slid the document along the desk towards Kakashi. It was Akua's completed genin registration form with credentials and photograph included. Kakashi picked the paper up from the worktable, confused as to why his former student was showing him this. "Who is this girl?" Kakashi asked.

"The one I told you about yesterday," replied Naruto. His sensei's eyes widened.

"What? That's impossible, today was supposed to be her first day in the academy," Kakashi exclaimed. Mirai didn't understand what the two men were talking about, so she stayed quiet and listened.

"It's true. She just took out over half of Boruto's class, the top third year class and probably one of the top classes in the academy, all at once about 20 minutes ago. And she did it without virtually a scratch on her. She's incredible."

"We haven't seen anyone like this since… Itachi," the predecessor speculated, "And you think—"

"I'm certain…"

 **FLASHBACK**

When Naruto stamped her document his cellphone rang. It was who he was expecting. Naruto answered the phone.

"Hey, loser," greeted the person over the line.

"It's good to hear from you, Sasuke," Naruto grinned. He hadn't heard his friend's voice for several years.

"Yea, yea, what's the deal. Don't you know I'm busy."

"Yes of course I know. You're investigating the remnants of Kaguya and what she'd been doing before she was sealed. How's that going, anyway?" he questioned. Sasuke's voice over the phone sounded much clearer than what he last remembered. Perhaps he was close by in the land of fire.

"Don't worry about it, it's under control. My leads have gone a little cold but I've figured out how to finally enter Kaguya's dimensions."

"I see. When do you think you'll be back?" Naruto continued.

"I don't know, another year or so maybe. Why, do you miss me, you weirdo?"

"No!" Naruto barked, "Of course not, you mope!"

"I'm hanging up," Sasuke declared.

"Wait!" Naruto stalled.

"Ugh, what is it."

"There's something important that involves you. It just came up earlier today." Naruto leaned back into the couch and held a certain document in his hand.

"What could possibly be more significant than this mission, Naruto."

The Hokage sighed, "Is Sarada your only child, Sasuke?"

"What are you talking about Naruto, of course she is. What's the meaning of this?"

"It's Karin. She came into Konoha earlier today from Kusagakure. She brought a little ten year old girl with her. I'm almost certain that she's—"

"You've gone fucking insane. What's that job done to you?" Naruto could hear Sasuke's frustration over the phone.

"Listen, Sasuke. I'm not accusing you of cheating on Sakura. Sarada is only nine years old. Have you forgotten?" Sasuke was silent. Not only had he forgotten how old his daughter was, he couldn't recall how she looked either.

"No, I haven't," he lied, "what are you trying to say then. That I somehow had sexual relations with Karin before I did anything with Sakura?"

"It's a possibility. Do you remember anything?" Sasuke was silent again, searching his mind, but nothing was coming to him.

"Why are you so certain. What if it's just a misunderstanding because of your idiocy. Did you even ask them? I haven't heard anything from Karin for years either, it makes no sense, Naruto."

"Sasuke, relax. Karin's just about as defensive as you are right now, probably even more, believe me. She won't say a word to me, and the girl probably doesn't know a thing about you either. I'm not saying there's no chance of me being wrong, but I have a feeling and want you to be prepared for this when you return," Naruto said, trying to quell his friend's angst.

"Tch… Have you told anyone of this?"

"No, not yet. I plan on keeping this a secret for awhile. Because if I am right, I wouldn't want Sakura to overreact. You know how she gets." Naruto said as Sasuke sighed over the line. He could hear the movement of his Uchiha friend over some cushioned material. Sasuke was probably laying in bed somewhere, and fell silent for a couple seconds.

"Naruto… if what you're saying is true, what am I supposed to do? How do you expect me to just believe something so… abstract?" Sasuke pressed.

"I don't really have a way for you to believe me, or any proof as of yet. But that girl's chakra doesn't lie. All you have to do is be a father to her, and I can tell it's something she needs."

"You're hallucinating," blurted Sasuke.

"I'm serious," defended Naruto immediately.

"I'm gonna kill you if this is bullshit. And it's definitely bullshit."

"Don—Sasuke!" Naruto fussed. He heard his friend chuckle then hang up the phone. Sasuke always seems to have a way of getting on Naruto's nerves. Little did the Hokage know that his speculation left Sasuke wide awake that night.

 **END FLASHBACK**

Kakashi took a moment to absorb Naruto's tale and his outrageous ideas. Such a far fetched speculation was not beyond his former student. Yet, he did everything except doubt the man. Instead Kakashi conjured methods within his mind as to how he would validate the Hokage's claim. Several ideas surfaced. First, he figured that the simplest way would be to interrogate Karin. This was discarded upon the memory of her previous imprisonment in Konoha during the war. The woman was stubborn and would not tell anyone anything that she did not want them to know. His second idea was through the fiend, Orochimaru. Konoha after the war kept a close eye on this individual after the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Overall, he was an enigma. Kakashi on the other hand was aware of his current experiments with genetics. Perhaps he could detect Akua's relationship to Sasuke, if any. Then again, it would take time to fetch him and he nor his methods were trusted. The thought as to why he was still at large after all of his crimes occurred to him for a split second before he dismissed it. The third and final idea was to try and siphon information out of Akua herself. She was the most accessible person out of the three and probably going to be the most cooperative. Nevertheless, these three ideas did not guarantee an answer and Kakashi was troubled by it.

Naruto observed his former sensei sifting through his mind after he had relayed his conversation with Sasuke to him. He witnessed the shift of Kakashi's facial expression as one of deep thought to one of discontent. It was concluded that Kakashi was trying to discover a quick solution to the problem but failed. Naruto himself started to think. He didn't know why he was so fixated on this topic. Akua by definition was only an immigrant. She was a ten year old from Kusagakure who knew how to hold her own in a fight. But he simply could not shake this gut feeling. He had to know. The only difficulty was the paranoia of not being able to determine anything at all.

"Naruto," Kakashi finally spoke, "I think I can understand where you're coming from but…"

Naruto broke from his deep pondering and gave his predecessor his undivided attention. "What is it?" the Hokage followed up.

"I can't comprehend how she'd be this skilled at such a young age, no matter if what you're saying is true, it just doesn't add up," answered Kakashi.

"That's simple. A few days ago I received a report from Hishiro, one of my ANBU. His team was sent last month to investigate the recent activity of Kusagakure,"—Naruto opened one of his drawers and withdrew the scroll that had been given to him—"and to see what was going on there."

"And this is what they found," Kakashi said, taking the scroll to open and read for himself. His eyes darted up and down, right to left. It was exactly what he would expect from a village's scouting report: Population size, status of the economy, status of shinobi, status of civilians, etc. "What's so special about them, other than the fact that they seem to be in rapid urbanizatio—" Kakashi stopped as he got to the very end of the report. The item that stood out the most was ' _The Genesis Program_ '. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. This wasn't on any of the latest reports he received when he was still in office. "What's the G—"

"The Genesis Program? Well, that's the question of the day is it not? Uh..ehehe, well one of them," Naruto chuckled, scratching his head. "Apparently, it's a top secret development that they have goin' on down there. What bothers me the most is that it's been there for at least thirteen years, and we're just now finding out about it," he frowned.

"Top secret? Do we know what they're doing at all yet?" Kakashi asked.

"Hishiro concluded that it was a training program."

Kakashi's eyes widened in fascination. "What's so secret about that?"

"Well, it seems that they draft children at a very young age, probably as soon as they're able to walk. They're put through gruesome training less than appropriate for their age that steadily increases as they get older. The objective is to season them into brutal killing machines that will replace the old generations of their ninja."

"That's ridiculous!" Kakashi asserted, "How could they do this to children… it's inhumane and absolutely illegal."

"I know it is, but not for them, Sensei. They're trying to fabricate the conditions that shinobi like the First and Second grew up in. The end result is…dangerous. My guess is that Akua was apart of this program at some point before she came here. It's the only reasonable theory."

"That would explain explain her innate skills…" Kakashi considered.

"There's more. Like I said before, this program has been around for more than thirteen years already—"

"So that means the oldest and deadliest of the children are at least thirteen years old. Theoretically, there are more powerful Genesis kids than Akua," Kakashi interjected, finishing the Seventh's sentence.

Naruto nodded.

"This isn't good," Kakashi added. His attendant stood near the door, silent the entire time before she finally voiced herself.

"Lord Sixth, if I may interrupt, why are these children such a danger?" questioned Mirai. The young chunin possessed little knowledge about the warring states period which the two men compared the children too.

"Long story short, Mirai," started Kakashi, "the very best of these kids would probably be able to hold their own against a jonin for awhile."

Mirai gulped down a block in her throat, frightened at his analyzation.

Naruto exhaled a long sigh. "They're going to be a threat to us, and I don't know how to deal with it without starting a god damned war. We can't barg—"

"Naruto, relax. We can deal with that later," Kakashi cut him off, trying to rest the Seventh's active mind, "right now we have to figure out this current situation. Tell the academy to hold on to the girl for me. I want to have a chat with her. She can probably help us."

Naruto was stunned as to how quickly his Sensei was able to come to terms with the situation and take charge. He had always been a rational thinker. Before he knew it, Kakashi was already on his way out the door with Mirai following close behind him.

"Tell your kid's and Hinata I said hi for me too. I haven't seen them for awhile. Oh, and when this is over, I'm going back on vacation," he hunched over with sudden bags under his eyes and furrowed eye brows.

His Sensei's joking exhaustion made him smile.

* * *

Kakashi and Mirai made their way to the Academy building as soon as they departed from the mansion. Once there, they entered the main office where they were directed to the room where Akua was being kept. The Sixth didn't hesitate to pick up the pace. The sooner this mystery girl issue was resolved, the sooner Naruto could rest his conscience. Mirai was directly to his side, about one step behind him. She couldn't ascertain what was going through the predecessors mind. Kakashi stared into the direction he walked with his hands filling the space in his pockets. Within a few moments they had arrived to their destination. The two individuals were standing outside a steel door in the basement of the Academy. This floor was where they administered quarterly tests and graduation exams. Despite the dark connotation that the concept of a basement entailed, the Academy's on the contrary was brilliant with fluorescents all along the ceiling. The light refracted off the walls and flooring to reveal pearl tilings.

"Is this where we're supposed to be, sir?" Mirai asked.

"Yes. Stay out here for me will you?"

Mirai nodded, standing guard beside the door as Kakashi entered and closed it behind him.

Compared to the outside, the room had the atmosphere of a morgue. When Kakashi closed the door and turned his head he finally saw her. The girl was sitting on the far side of a long steel table. The clanks of the shutting mechanisms were the only sounds that pierced the silence. Then there was the screeching of Kakashi's chair across the ground. He took a seat, and there was the second screech of the chair sliding forward to comfort himself. Kakashi examined the girl. It was their first encounter in the flesh. She had yet to acknowledge his presence. Her head was held down and her eyes were shadowed by her bangs. Thin arms were laid out straight along the table. The legs were low enough that most of her upper body was visible from the other side. In between her pale hands was a brand new Konoha forehead protector embedded into black elastic cloth. It seemed that between defeating the academy students and Kakashi's arrival she'd been tested and succeeded. It left the Sixth in awe at her rapid development. When Kakashi mustered the urge to speak, he was interrupted.

"Why am I here," Akua announced, demanding an answer. The tone of her voice didn't suggest she was asking a question. "And who are you."

"I'm Kakashi Hatake, the Sixth Hokage," he replied. He was already receiving awkward vibes.

"Oh, it's an honor to meet you, predecessor," Akua said, lifting her head to acknowledge the superior. Amethyst beamed through Kakashi's pupils. A faint, cold sweat rolled down the side of his face, absorbing into his mask. Her expression was abnormally blank and calm. She was in no way shape or form threatened by his status or presence. "My name is—"

"Akua, yes I know," Kakashi interrupted, attempting to regain control of the premature conversation. "I'm just here to talk to you, ask a few questions, if you're willing to answer that is."

"What kind of questions?" Akua asked, raising an eyebrow. Kakashi rested his elbows on the desk and leaned in. His fingers were interlocked in front of his mask.

"Ones that will clear up the suspicion around you. So, let's get to business. You and I at this point are both aware of your exceptional combat ability," Kakashi started. He noticed the muscles in her arm tensing up. "What can you tell me about The Genesis Program?"

Akua's fists clenched at the utterance of the words. "Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I think since you both originate from the same country and you seem to be an intelligent girl, you would know something," Kakashi responded. He examined the mute girl as she sat motionless underneath the dim light.

"You're a very insightful person, sir. What will happen if I cooperate?"

"You gain my trust, and I acknowledge you as a shinobi of Konoha." There was a pause.

"What I'm about to tell you,"—Akua's fingers relaxed as she exhaled—"is a mouth full of confidential information regarding the state of Kusagakure. Specific info that you would not be able to obtain even if you infiltrated the village with your shinobi. May I request something more from you in return, predecessor?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "What would that be?"

"Do you know who Sasuke Uchiha is?"

The Sixth Hokage's reality paused. His heart skipped a beat. His breathing halted for a split second. His eyelids were frozen open. His muscles tensed. _She's aware of his existence, maybe I should press this first_ , he thought. The rest of his bodily functions began to operate. "Yes, I know who he is."

"Then you'll be able to answer my questions about him?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Hm… at last…" she sighed. Her expression completely changed from stern to solemn. Kakashi didn't understand the meaning of her sudden mood shift. That was when the violet light vanished beneath her eyelids.

Akua's eyes were closed. She fell silent again and her body seemed lifeless. Kakashi knew she was still awake, but still was trying to figure out what was going on. "What do you want to know about him?" he asked.

Kakashi saw her eyebrows flinch at the sound of his voice. There was a cold chill that ran down his spine. The air in the room became sharp, almost unbreathable as he sat there. An odd, old, familiar sensation was beginning to manifest. It was chakra. Kakashi's sleeves matted to his arms along with the rest on the garments along his body under the sudden intense pressure. It's ominous current was slapping him in the face. It was like he was in a wind tunnel, a feeling that he had been foreign to for over a decade. "This… chakra… it…" he paused. He couldn't finish his words. Anxiety was lodged into his throat. The girl remained seated, unharmed by the atmosphere shift in the room. There was no doubt in his mind that it was all emanating from her body. How could a ten year old have him speechless and glued to his seat? His inquiry was then resolved. Akua tilted her head up an inch. Her body was animating. Kakashi watched her carefully. But he didn't need to do so, what he saw was crystal clear. Instead of violet, crimson broke through the girl's eyelids, forcing them open. Potent light pierced through the darkness, enough that it seemed it would burn through the walls of the room. Kakashi felt his heart being pulled at in all directions. "It's impossible…" he finally said. But there it was right in front of his face. Clearly, he was not dreaming. The spooling dial of vision that characterized this mutation was unmistakable. Kakashi witnessed not one, not two, but three black magatama spiral into view around the girl's pupils. They floated in the bloody waterbed of her irises. The long lost gleam made him feel completely insignificant. He watched the girl stare aimlessly into a point on the table.

"What is my relationship with him, predecessor?" she asked politely, never daring to look him in the eye.

 **A/N: The big reveal! I'm sure most of you had already guessed at her identity. Further information on exactly how Akua and her brother came about will be in the next chapter. How will Uchiha family react to this?**

 **The next chapter will be the beginning of Akua's road to the Chunin Exams, bringing her one step closer to her goal. Make sure to follow, favorite, and review if you're enjoying this story! I love to see your reactions and appreciate the feedback.**

 **Also, if you haven't already seen the promo I made for this chapter, there'll be a link at the end of this note as well. I've had trouble with posting the link on my profile itself. Thanks for viewing and see you in two weeks time!**

 **Deviantart: synystersketch .deviantart .com**


	5. Akua Uchiha

**A/N: Here it is, another chapter of Akua's journey! Things are beginning to get interesting. Before this chapter starts, I'd like to thank all of the visitors to this story. It truly does me well to see all of the people enjoying it, especially when the reviews come in. The feedback is greatly appreciated and I hope for it to continue until the end.**

 **To answer your question, IcePrincess, I cannot reveal too many details for the sake of spoilers. However, Sasuke and Akua will encounter each other at some point after this arc.**

 **P.S.: The names of some of the special wards of Tokyo will be mentioned in this chapter. This is because I've divided Konoha into several districts for the sake of organization and location indicators. Consider them neighborhoods in this case instead of separate municipalities.**

 **Ch. 5**

 **Akua Uchiha**

Three long days had passed since the lengthy conversation with the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi. Akua spent much of this time alone in her home, despite what she had told herself previously. Her body was half buried within the material of a white futon that laid upon her bedroom floor. She'd bought one of these beds for herself and her mother when she returned. They were all that could be afforded after using most of the money to purchase new clothing and ninja tools. The girl was a full fledged genin, a shinobi now. Her first day at the Academy, which resulted in that promotion, had been quite the event and she had not spoken to Boruto since then. His clothes laid in the corner of her room. She was afraid of what he might think of her, due to beating down his classmates. The Uzumaki's expression after she returned to the sideline that day was one etched with terror. However, there was something else on her mind that was troubling her.

To an outsider, Akua would have looked very interested in the ceiling that night. Ever since she had arrived home an hour ago and thrown herself into the futon, her gaze was fixated on the ceiling, which reminded her of a blank canvas. Her mind projected images of her troubled memories upon it in vivid, bloody detail. The last couple days had been some of the most hectic in her entire life. The one thing or things that she failed to put out of her mind was that which related to her lineage. Akua revealed to Kakashi a personal secret that her mother insisted she keep concealed at the moment of its awakening, due to the circumstances around the two females. She was in fact, a descendent of the infamous Uchiha Clan, for burning beneath her violet eyes were fully matured Sharingan. Akua recalled the memory of when she first experienced its premature powers. During the brutal training of the Genesis Program, she and her brother Senshi were thrown into the wilderness to fend for themselves at the age of four, unaware of the monitored trial they were being put through. After enduring a fortnight of peril, the two were attacked by a small pack of three ferocious tigers. The threat of impending death of her brother caused Akua to awaken the fabled dojutsu, enabling her to outmaneuver and slay the hungry beasts. Senshi was the one who brought the alteration in her vision to her attention. It wasn't long before he too awakened the Sharingan for himself. Neither of the siblings were aware of what exactly their gifts were. Karin on the other hand was knowledgeable. The woman forbade her children from using their powers because of the fear that was induced by them. They would be killed if Kusagakure discovered their origin. Nevertheless, the two children secretly developed their visual powers. Akua went as far as to have a fully matured Sharingan by the age of seven.

The girl rubbed her aching eyes. It had been at least two years since she activated her ability. Kusagakure grew suspicious of the little family, after all. "Sharingan…" Akua muttered to herself. She was confused as to why the figurine of Sasuke possessed the same eyes as she did, for the girl was under the impression that Senshi was the only other person with the ability. Thus, began her curiosity to find out who the man was. From Sarada, she learned of the Sharingan and the Uchiha family. Then came the most piercing information of all.

'Sasuke…' Kakashi's voice echoed in her mind, 'there's a good chance that… that man may be…your father.'

"Father… my father?" Akua pondered. It was the first time that the word was ever associated with her. The girl was oblivious to the concept of having a father. All she had for a parent was Karin, and that wasn't much until recently. Furthermore, Karin never once mentioned anything about the existence of a male figure, so for them, it didn't feel like they even had a biological father of any kind. This was all put to the back of Akua's mind until now. She wasn't sure how to feel about the revelation. Her blank expression twisted into anger and confusion. "UGH!" she yelled, denting her right fist into the wooden floorboards, "Why is there so much that I still don't know!" After her voice faded, there was silence. Her chest expanded with deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. If Sasuke was her father, then that meant Sarada was her sister in some way. Yet, Kakashi made it clear that Akua shouldn't reveal the truth behind her lineage for the sake of stability. It was too soon for it to become public. All of this new knowledge led her to question who she was. She needed more insight on the situation, more answers. Thus, she anxiously awaited her mother's return.

Akua attempted to wash away her stress with a hot shower, her third to date. The second was the day before, when the city activated running water for them. In the past, she would bathe either in the splintering cold waters of the Genesis facilities or, if in the wilderness, any sufficient body of water. The change to a hot shower in the past few days was infinitely more soothing for her. Akua had her left palm extended in front of her against the shower wall. Droplets rained into her head and down her body as she stared into water spiralling down the grate at her feet. Her face lifted to the shower head after a few deep breaths. Steaming water pelted into her skin. She would've stayed in longer had she not heard the sound of her front door and the shuffling of objects. Someone had entered the house. It was a familiar presence. Akua turned the faucet and shut the water off. Upon exiting the bathroom fully clothed, she turned the corner to the living room to see a crimson haired woman slouched in one of the couches. It was her mother, much to her surprise. The young girl's face lifted from fret. Karin immediately sensed her daughter's presence. "Oh, Akua! How are you sweetie!" she exclaimed. Akua found herself borrowed in her mother's embrace within the couch. "Wow, you definitely aren't happy to see me," she joked, "Hm"—Karin sniffed—"you smell really good, did you just shower?"

It was almost 7:00 pm when Karin returned to the house. After her daughter's display of affection, the single mother made her way to the kitchen to start on dinner for the two of them. Akua was involved in the preparation of their meal as well. The enjoyment she experienced almost made her forget the reason why she wanted her mother to come home, other than the obvious desire to have her there. "So tell me," Karin began, chopping up vegetables for salad, "how've you been since I was gone?"

Akua was preparing teriyaki sauce from scratch when she asked that question. It caused her to pause for a moment before she responded. The questions she wanted to ask resurfaced. "I became a genin," she replied. The impact of the knife against the cutting board couldn't be heard for a split second.

"What? Really?" her mother continued.

"Yes," Akua nodded, "On my first day, the day you left."

"How did you graduate so quickly, darling, that's amazing! I knew you were strong, but…" Karin's voice trailed off as she reminisced. She was the reason why Akua was as skilled as she was. She allowed both of her children to be drafted into the Genesis program shortly after their first birthday. It was a decision she just began to regret recently because of what the girl had to go through. However, she believed it was necessary for her goal at the time. In the end, it benefited her daughter for this situation. Karin couldn't undo that decision, but there was another that she could, possibly, undo.

"I kinda… beat up the entire class," Akua said with an innocent tone. Then her voice hardened, "I put Sarada Uchiha in her place." She looked at her mother out of the corner of her left eye. Karin froze at the utterance of the name.

"You…you met Sarada?" Karin choked.

"Mhm. I don't really like her much," she added. Akua's mother fell silent. Something had hit home. "Mom…can I ask you something important?"

Karin didn't say a word.

Akua sighed, "How do I even start…" The girl put down the ingredients to the teriyaki sauce and pressed her hands into the counter. "…I don't know why I've never asked this before, it never seemed important, but, Mom, who is my father?"

Glass crashed into the wall across the kitchen and blasted apart against the ground. The beginning of a delicious fruit salad laid splattered among the shattered pieces of a bowl. Akua had automatically flinched upon hearing the terrible sound and witnessing her mother's flash of anger. Karin now stood, paused in a finished throwing position and breathing heavily.

"Mom…"

"I knew you would ask me eventually, especially since we came here. Since our purpose here has changed I suppose it's only fair to tell you."

"What do you mean our purpose?" Akua questioned.

"Sasuke. Your father's name is Sasuke Uchiha."

The young girl's eyes widened. The Sixth Hokage's words were true. Hearing them from her mother made something that was unbelievable before, valid. "What does that mean…what does all of this mean?" she stressed.

"It just means you're an Uchiha. Your full birth name is and always has been Akua Uchiha, darling. I just…never focused on your last name after…" her words trailed off again. The woman stared blankly into the table. Wretched memories rummaged her mind.

"What is Uchiha? Is it…the Sharingan? I don't understand why you would keep this from me."

"There are…several reasons. But the only thing you need to know right now is that there's an omen that lingers around that name." Karin approached her mess and began to collect the pieces of the bowl. "Let's talk about this when we're finished cooking."

* * *

The two females sat across from each other at the small table within the kitchen. There was much to be discussed. Sitting in front of them were plates of beef teriyaki, Akua's favorite choice of meat, and identical bowls of rice. A new bowl of salad rested in the center of the table. The girl picked up her chopsticks, recited "Itadakimasu", and began to feed. Her mother was slow to eat.

"So you want to know about the Uchiha, huh?" Karin asked as she picked at her food. Akua's face was stuffed with rice and strips of pan-fried beef. She nodded with puffed cheeks. That five regular mouth's-full worth of food was swallowed quickly before she spoke.

"Why is the name so notorious?"

"Well, I don't know too much of their history beyond Sasuke's time, but…the Uchiha are a very old clan. It used to be a large family indigenous to Konoha until a certain incident occurred about two decades ago."

"Incident?" Akua chimed in.

"Yes," Karin answered, "there was a massacre. Your father's older brother, Itachi Uchiha, murdered the entire clan in one night and left Sasuke seeking revenge for his deeds."

Akua gulped down, then took a couple more bites of her dinner.

"Your father ended up fighting his brother years later. Itachi was defeated. I remember Sasuke talking about how illness tore away at his brother from the inside out. After he got his revenge he learned it was in vain. Itachi wasn't the villain Sasuke thought he was, and was actually trying to protect Konoha from the looming threat of his family."

"What were they planning to do?"

"If I remember correctly…they were being accused of being behind the attack of the nine tailed beast a long time ago, around the time the Seventh Hokage was born. He's the jinchuriki."

"Jinch—"

"Don't worry about that, it's not important right now." interrupted Karin. "Because of that accusation, the Uchiha felt discriminated against and planned to overthrow the establishment of Konoha. Itachi was sent in to dispose of them before they were able to do so. But he couldn't kill Sasuke, he loved him too much."

"Is this why they're notorious?" mumbled Akua with food in her mouth.

"Well… not necessarily. After the massacre, Itachi became a member of a criminal organization. Your father was a rogue ninja for a portion of his life and committed crimes against the five great nations. He was a wanderer…and as a foolish young teen at the time, I was head over heels in love with him."

Akua blushed at the way her mother smiled for a moment.

"Not only was Sasuke a criminal…the Fourth Great Shinobi War was started by a surviving Uchiha. I believe his real name was Obito. By the end of the war, both Obito and Sasuke ended up redeeming themselves of their crimes to some extent, but Obito died in battle. The reigns of the war, on the other hand, were taken by another Uchiha who was brought back from the dead. His name was Madara."

"So, I have a family of lunatics with a history of destroying everything running through my veins," Akua sighed and rolled her eyes.

"For the most part, yes. Much of the world is hostile towards your blood, especially due to the Sharingan, which you probably know about as well. Kusagakure was probably the worst place we could be but, I needed to be ther—"

"To steal whatever they had," Akua cut in. Her mother nodded in shame.

"Are you going to tell me what that is yet?"

The woman across from the girl hesitated before she spoke. "I think it's truly…for your own good that I didn't tell you. I'm sorry."

Akua exhaled with a mouth full of rice. Nothing was more disappointing than hearing that answer from her mother. At least she was able to tell her something worth knowing that night.

The solemn atmosphere did not succeed in ruining Akua's appetite. The only sound in the kitchen after almost fifteen minutes was the clicking of her chopsticks against her plate. The girl's mother watched amazed at how much her daughter ate. It was the first time she'd witnessed her eat such an abundance, and the first time she's seen the girl so excited to eat.

Akua witnessed her mother begin to wash the pots and dishes as she finished up her meal. The woman stood at the sink and reached over to accept her daughter's plate as it was handed to her. Akua on the other hand remained seated, contemplating what she had just learned. She was convinced that her mother's knowledge was accurate, but quite limited. The ambition to learn more about her lineage burned in her soul. Perhaps she could figure out why exactly she and the Uchiha were born with the possibility of unlocking a sharingan. Moreover, she was curious if she would be able to find someone who could teach her how to use her dojutsu ability. Sasuke was out of the picture. The girl was also unsure if she actually wanted to meet him at this point. Conflicting feelings brewed in her heart. Kakashi Hatake, the Sixth Hokage, was the second option. The predecessor had offered Akua a chance to be mentored by him. However she was skeptical about this decision as well. It wasn't clear to her whether or not he knew anything about advanced training of the sharingan beyond her current state. It was worth looking into though. Kakashi would be at the training grounds outside of the village tomorrow, Saturday, at 1:30 pm. And it was decided.

Karin was down to the last few dishes when a thought came to her. "Hey, Akua, isn't it your birthday next week on the third?"

Akua snapped out of her thinking. "Yea, I think so, the Saturday after tomorrow."

"Is there anything you wanna do for it this year? I know we haven't done anything before but…you know, it's never too late to start," hinted Karin. She was the reason Akua never experienced a birthday party before in her life. This was her way of beginning to make up for her poor parenting.

"I'm not sure, what do people usually do on their birthday's?" the girl wondered.

"They have birthday parties, darling," Karin answered.

"Party?"

"Yes, it's when people gather together in a place to celebrate an occasion. They're usually friends of the host."

"I don't really…have any friends…" Akua recalled the last time she spoke with a certain boy; after she'd danced through his classmates.

"Uh, what about that Uzumaki kid? You could invite his family," Karin insisted and finished drying the last of the dishes. She began to pack them into the cupboards.

"You think they'd come?"

"Well," Karin began, "you should return the favor since they invited you over once."

The sparkling-violet eyed girl glanced at her mother for a moment in her corner of her eye. It was common courtesy for her to display the same hospitality towards those who had offered it before. "You're right," Akua concluded. She would have to visit Boruto in order to do that though, something she didn't want to do. Furthermore, the exact location of his home was unknown. Her only other option was to go to the Hokage's Mansion during the day. The only problem was that she would have to schedule a meeting with him and wait a few days, possibly. It was the trade off that she had to make. Thus, her plans for tomorrow were settled. She'd go to the Mansion after she woke from her slumber early in the morning, then proceed to meet the Sixth Hokage at the time he'd previously stated to be there. Akua let out a breath and looked to the clock on the wall. It was minutes to 9:00 pm. There wasn't much else she wanted to do, so she slide back and got up from her seat. "I'm gonna go to bed mom, I'm feeling kinda tired."

"Alright darling, just one more thing before you go," Karin recalled, eager to inform her daughter of something. Akua stopped and turned before exiting the kitchen.

"What is it?"

"Try to keep the amount of people that…know who you are limited. It'll save you and I a lot of trouble."

"I know," Akua nodded, turning back and heading towards the bathroom to brush her teeth and then her room. She fell face first into the futon once she'd arrived, groaning into the material. Her head turned to the side when she could no longer hold her breath. The thoughts in her mind whirled around until they cleared. Her eyelids grew heavy after awhile. Blurry and more blurry her vision became until it was darkness.

* * *

Boruto Uzumaki strolled the streets of Konoha after he got off the train in Meguro, the city's southeastern-most district bordering the outer walls. This Saturday morning, his father had informed him that this was the district Akua's home was located in. It was one of the few predominantly residential districts yet one of the most populous. It's outskirts were also one of poorest. To the north of Meguro was Ōta. To the east was Edogawa and to the northeast bordered Rasen.

At this point, the boy had no clue where to go. It was clear he was trying to find his friend Akua. However, his father's knowledge was limited. Naruto had only brought Akua within about half a mile of her house. The rest of the way was a mystery. Therefore, Boruto had to ask around until he could find a lead. "Excuse me sir," he called, addressing a nearby convenience store vender, "have you by any chance seen a black haired, purple eyed girl around here in the past few days?"

"Hmm, you're the Hokage's boy aren't ya?" he noticed. The middle-aged man rubbed his stubbled chin in thought. "Come to think of it, I know a guy that's seen a girl like that 'round here. I can tell you where to find him."

"Thank you, sir," Boruto replied. It pleased him that he was able to find something so quickly. He guessed that it was because Akua had not been completely secluded. She was probably interacting within the district. The blonde haired boy proceeded in the direction that the vendor sent him. He arrived in front of a ninja tool shop. After speaking with the owner for a couple minutes he was directed to someone else. That person directed him to a clothing store. Boruto spoke to several employees before being sent to a furniture store. He didn't know it, but he was actually retracing Akua's steps over the past three to four days. Eventually, after two hours of searching and walking around Meguro, he finally arrived in Akua's neighborhood. He had to ask around until he was lead down a long, narrow street. A man informed him that the one who was looking for lived at the very end of the street. Boruto walked past the same bicycles, garbage cans and closely positioned houses that Akua walked by every day she left her home. Soon, he stood in front of a small, decrepit shack of a house. There was no more road. This was the place.

Boruto stepped up to the front porch and went to ring the doorbell. It was broken. He resorted to knocking on the door but it swung open before he could. In the frame stood a young woman with a pair of black glasses similar to Sarada's. Behind them were crimson eyes that glared into his soul, just as Akua's did. Her hair, of a matching color to the eyes, was shaved on the left but combed mostly to the right. She was an attractive woman. The boy stared into her ivory skinned face. The shape and complexion resembled Akua's as well. This must be her mom, he thought, but how did she know I was at the door?

"What do you want kid, lost your way hom—" Karin noticed the boy's resemblance. "You must be Boruto."

"How do you know my name?"

"My daughter talks about you, of course. That's why you're here aren't you?"

Boruto nodded his head in hesitation and embarrassment. He actually did not think his plan through and was not prepared to confront Akua's mother.

"Well, she actually told me not to let you in yesterday if you came," the older woman stated. Her words made Boruto's eyes widen in surprise. His expression sank. Karin raised an eyebrow then chuckled. "I'll let you in anyways. She's in her room, to the left," she finished, gesturing to the hallway that was to her own right. She turned back into the house and continuing to unpack the new flat screen television she ordered for the living room.

The young blonde haired Uzumaki boy wasn't familiar with this type of environment. He didn't know such a poor standard of living existed. The inside of Akua's home was dull and colorless aside from worn out wooden flooring. There was minimal furniture in the living room as well, but it seemed that Karin was starting to change that. Boruto walk down the hallway and knocked on the first door he approached. No answer. There was only one other room in that hallway and it was an open door to the bathroom. He knocked again with no answer. He grew tired of waiting and opened the door. It did in fact look like a bedroom, but it was empty. The ends of a futon came into view, however. The boy entered the room to find Akua sleeping soundily on her stomach at first glance, with her arms and legs extended off the thin mattress. A white sheet encased and wrapped around her lower body. The sound of Boruto's footsteps caused her to twist to her back. He noticed her sweating but it wasn't stifling in the room at all. Her expression resembled one of a continuous distress. Her already shut eyelids squeezed together periodically and her skin was unusually pale. Boruto could see the girl's chest rising and sinking abnormally. When he approached in an attempt to help, the girl shot up from her uncomfortable slumber and a flash of steel sailed for his chest. The boy reacted and threw his body to the ground, falling against the wood. The wall outside of the doorway behind him was pierced by a kunai knife. Boruto fixed his shocked gaze from the weapon and his near death to the breathless girl in front of him. Her arm was still stretched forward at the end of its throwing motion. She couldn't seem to get any air in the moments after she awoke, but eventually relaxed. "W-what are you doing here…" Akua questioned, confused to be witnessing his presence as if he wasn't her target.

* * *

Akua buried her face in her palms and peered at Boruto through her fingers, finally breathing air. She saw the fright painted over him. However, she was still processing the situation. Her vision collected itself further and she saw the kunai in the wall. Her chest stopped heaving for oxygen. There were sharp episodes of pain in various points of her body which she dismissed as muscle aches from her sleep. Yet, she felt exhausted, at a loss of energy despite sleeping to noon. "Boruto," she groaned, twisting her upper body away from him so he couldn't see how terrible she looked. "Go away, I don't know why you're here—"

"I'm here to say I'm sorry, okay? Even though you almost killed me." he interrupted.

"What for?" she fired back, knowing well what he was here to apologize for.

"For saying what I did on Tuesday, your first day. I was wrong and I didn't mean it."

"So I'm not a deranged lunatic anymore?" pressed the girl.

"No…I was just, in a state of shock and didn't know how to react to you at the moment. And I felt bad for my friends. But I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Akua still refused to face him, not because she didn't want to, but because she couldn't. As he spoke to her, she felt as if there was something lurking beneath her skin. She'd never felt anything like it before. Furthermore, it was forcing her right eye in and out of its Sharingan state, possibly as some sort of physical reaction to the phenomenon. She couldn't face Boruto because she couldn't allow him to see her eye. Her body was turned to over to her left, supported by the same arm while her right hand clenched her face.

Boruto continued, "I was flustered, but now I really know how I feel, and I think your skills are awesome."

Akua was unresponsive. Boruto reached out for her shoulder.

"Akua?"

"Stop. Don't touch me," she demanded, crawling up from the futon while still holding the right side of her face.

"Are you alright?" he worried. "You look sick."

"I'm fine, just leave me be for a second, I'll meet you outside… before you go, what time is it?"

"It's 12:28pm right now," Boruto clarified.

Shit.

It was almost time for her to meet Kakashi and there were still errands that she needed to run for the house. "Alright, thanks," she said walking out of her room with haste and shutting the bathroom door as she entered. Boruto did as he was told and left the room after she did. He addressed her mother before exiting and waited outside.

Akua stared into the mirror above the sink. The veins in the right side of her face visible underneath her now pale skin. Her sharingan in that eye was spiralling in and out. She closed her eyes and relaxed herself. The chakra within her was noticeably disturbed, therefore, she had to reorganize its flow. Akua's redistribution of her chakra caused the presence she felt within her to subside, almost as if it had completely disappeared. When she opened her eyes, both iris were their regular, dark yet gleaming violet. Water splashed into her face from her palms to rinse the skin. The complexion was returning to normal. After only a few moments of focus she was able to counteract whatever was going on with her body. The girl sighed in relief and went to carry on with her day, however she was still wary.

After 20 minutes of getting ready, the new genin emerged from her home. Boruto was perched against a wooden telephone pole when he caught a glimpse of her new outfit. Aside from her regular black sandals, she now wore tight thigh length socks to match them. They were made of a thin but sturdy material, crafted specifically for combat. A few inches above the long socks were the ends of her knife pleated short skirt, which came down before the middle of her thighs. A fitted zip-up hoodie wrapped around her upper body with the the sleeve rolled up to the elbows. Both the skirt and hoodie were a deep, almost black violet that made her eyes stand out. She replaced her fingerless gloves with full ones and around her head was her forehead protector. The Konoha insignia engraved into the metal was slightly obscured by raven colored bangs that swept to her right and her hair normally fell around her delicate face. Boruto was clearly admiring the stunning appearance "What are you staring at, hmm?" she blurted, tossing a plastic bag in his chest. His clothes were inside of them. Embarrassment set in for him when she noticed that he was staring. Akua turned and began to walk up the road, with Boruto following close behind. "By the way," she added, "sorry for almost killing you." She shot him the playful and considering smile that he'd been waiting to see.

* * *

Their time together was brief. Only for 20 minutes did Boruto actually get to interact with his friend because there was somewhere she needed to be. Akua had to help him understand what she needed to do, only mentioning that it involved the Sixth Hokage. She noticed that the boy became set off at the mentioning of the title. Perhaps it didn't resonate with him. Either way, it was an important matter that she needed to tend to. After collecting the materials she needed for her meet and training with Kakashi, Akua escorted Boruto to one of the local stations. "You don't have to send me away, ya'know," he complained.

"I know, I'm sorry, but I need to go alone. I'm not upset with you anymore, so you can relax."

Boruto exhaled a deep sigh. He wouldn't press it any longer, turning to purchase a boarding ticket.

"Hey," Akua called, "before you go, I wanted to ask if you'd come to a party I'm having… in seven days, for my birthday."

Boruto's eyes widened in excitement. "Of course!"

His quick and sudden reaction forced a quick blush from her. "Great! Then it's decided. Come to my house next Saturday, at seven pm. Bring your entire family and consider this my thanks for"—Akua noticed the time she had dwindling down and hurried up—"your hospitality that night! I have to go now, I'll see you later!" she said before dashing off in the other direction. He couldn't suppress a mischievous smile while watching her haste and ecstatic attitude.

Running to the training field was much more efficient than taking the train. They didn't pass through that part of the forest outside of the city. A majority of the nature was untouched by the urbanization. Railing covered a minimal amount of space. Very few trees had to be cleared for them to build them. Any other form of transportation fell short to the speed at which a ninja could travel. Thus, the reason why Akua chose to travel by foot. She acquired the location of the area a few days back. The girl arrived in front of old steel fencing, passing through the gate. It seemed as though this area had been here for several decades at least. It was a peaceful and silent landscape. The only sounds were the chirping of birds within the trees and the current of the sparkling river that cut through the land. Sandals crunched into dirt and sifted through grass as the girl approached a set of three standing logs. She placed her palm upon the middle one and felt its ancient bark. By that time it was already 1:30 pm and Kakashi was nowhere to be found. His tardiness was starting to irritate her, but there wasn't anywhere else she needed to be. The genin took a seat on the ground against the upright log. After half an hour of impatience, she fell asleep.

Time passed in an instant. Her eyes opened up to the sight of the deep forestry across from her. To her right was a view of the mountains in the distance, behind the woods across the river. A signal of realization flash in her mind. Akua abruptly looked above herself. And there the Sixth Hokage was, perched at the peak of the log. "Hi there," he greeted.

"How long have you been there! You're late! What time is it?" Akua screamed all at once. Kakashi took a look at his watch.

"It's 2:48—"

"You said 1:30!"

"I got lost?"

"Bullshit."

Kakashi scratched his head in slight shame. Akua was an aggressive girl. She reminded him of both her mother and father. Without any further delay, their training began. First, the two practiced in taijutsu. The speed of Kakashi's strikes and movement were the perfect challenge to Akua's mature sharingan. It had been too long since she was able to use her dojutsu in combat. All of the predecessor's moves were clear to her, and as they fought it became increasingly more difficult for Kakashi to take the girl lightly. Even though there was no killing intent, Akua's technique was sharp, precise, and deadly by instinct. There was no doubt that this child was able to sweep through a class of genin level ninja with ease.

The second part of their training focused more on the use of chakra. This was where Kakashi assessed her ability to use ninjutsu and genjutsu. The focus was primarily on ninjutsu however. Akua's errand was to purchase a pad of special paper to test her chakra. It was discovered, as normal for people of Uchiha descent, that her affinity was fire. However, she informed kakashi that most Genesis children were able to use at least two. Akua demonstrated her skills in fire release through the common great fireball technique in addition to an intermediate use of the lightning and water chakra natures.

Within a few hours, Akua's evaluation was complete. The sun already began to melt away behind the mountains. The entire sky was washed with its amber hues. After such a long day, she felt that Kakashi's training was effective in helping her usage of the Sharingan. It was still a mystery to her as to why Kakashi was so focused on her. "Is it alright if I call you Sensei?" Akua asked while sitting legs crisscrossed in the grass.

"Sure, not a problem."

The violet eyes ignited in joy. "Why did you offer me your help, and why are you so knowledgeable of the Sharingan?"

Kakashi shut the book he began to read after they decided to end for the day. It was a different genre than his usual erotic novels. "Your father was an old student of mine. I used to be a genin squad leader. My last squad was actually Naruto, the Seventh Hokage, Sasuke, and his current wife, Sakura. They were also my favorite," he explained. Within an instant, the nostalgia set in. Akua herself was fascinated by listening to him speak.

"Could you tell me more?"

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask and took a seat across from the girl. "I suppose it's only fair, since you told me everything about Genesis. Ah, where to begin," he complied, rubbing his chin. "To this day, all three of them are still the best of friends. I wouldn't be able to tell you all of our adventures before this day ended but, I can tell you that they were the most enjoyable years of my life. Your father and Naruto were rivals when they were younger. You could even say they still are. There's a special connection between the two that transcends them. It was what allowed Naruto to bring your father back from the darkness during the Fourth Great Shinobi War."

"I see…" Akua responded, "my mother told me a little bit about how he was a rogue ninja for awhile, trying to chase after his brother."

"Yes, your uncle, Itachi Uchiha, I knew him quite well. He was my subordinate in the ANBU Black Ops before he was compelled to defect. You two have a lot in common as well."

"What kind of person was he?"

"Hmm," pondered Kakashi, "he was a very reserved individual, always followed the rules, and cared so much about this village and his little brother, he was willing to shoulder the burden of hate from all of them for their own sake. He never once thought about himself. And I wish it could have been easier for him."

"If he was such a good person, why did my father have to kill him?"

"He purposefully lied to so father so that he could repent for his own sins in the future. It was his way of closure for them both. Dying by his brother's hand was probably bliss. But I only know so much. You'd have to ask your father about this."

Akua turned her head to the side, staring into the ground. She seemed irritated by the mentioning of speaking to him. "Where is he anyway…who is he?"

"Sasuke… is the shadow of Konoha. He supports it like a pillar while Naruto is the bridge that helps people get by. Recently, he's been away on a long term, top secret mission, but he usually spends much of his time away from the village regardless. He doesn't want to be acknowledged for his contributions, he just wants them to be done. Why he does it, that's something you'll have to ask him yourself."

Akua's face softened, sullen at the subject. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

Kakashi shook his head.

"I'm not even sure if I want to see him," Akua admitted, "does he even know I exist? I'm…no one."

"No, you aren't no one. You're Akua Uchiha of Konohagakure. There's no doubt in my mind that he'd be happy to see you."

"But I have to keep it a secret…what does it mean to be an Uchiha?"

"The Uchiha are a family, the family, that cherishes love more than any other group of people in the entire world. Their loved ones come before themselves. They'd do anything to protect them, even if it would cost them their life. However, that abundance of love is susceptible to an almost unfathomable amount of hatred. Your lowest point will define whether or not you rise or fall. How you endure it depends on you. It's why they used to be called the family that bore the Curse of Hatred. That I believe, is what it means to be an Uchiha."

Akua was speechless. It was a lot to take in all at once. Their lines of sight were locked on to each other's as Kakashi spoke. She took hers away when he was finished and stared into her lap. It was difficult to comprehend exactly what he meant, but she believed she would when she grew older. The girl let out a sigh. "Thank you, Sensei."

"You're welcome, Akua. If you ever need anything, just give me a shout." Kakashi tossed the young Uchiha a palm sized, touchscreen cellular device. "Keep that. You'll figure out how to use it," he reassured, "my number is already in it." The former Hokage rose from his seated position and began to leave. "Ah, one more thing. I found a team for you. They were looking for a third member to take part in the Chunin Selection Exams next month. Are you interested? I think you'd do great in them with your skills."

"Chunin Selection Exams?"

"They're tests that genin participate in to determine whether or not they can be promoted."

"I see," said Akua, considering the idea, "count me in."

"Perfect!"

That day, Akua went home with a slight smile on her face. Before she knew it her 11th birthday came around. Boruto and his family arrived at her home for a night of celebration. By then, the interior of the house was developed into an abode of comfort. No longer did the tiny shelter seem like a shack. Akua was able to talk with Hinata again after nearly two weeks and she got to finish playing with Himawari. Overall, it was by far the most gratifying day of her life. She did see something odd however. Her mother and the Hokage were outside with each other and it seemed like she was telling him something. At some point, she witnessed a face of horror from Naruto. Karin must've told him something that he didn't want to hear. Despite how suspicious it seemed, she decided not to address the topic on her birthday, so she ignored it. It was quickly forgotten due to the deliciousness of a vanilla cake coated in strawberry flavored frosting.

* * *

The aura that emitted from Tanoshimi was enough to sink anyone's heart down into their stomach. Such was the case when she approached the government building of Kusagakure. Every civilian wanted to avoid her, and with good reason. The faintest of looks could mean certain death. She was amused by her effect on others, though. Suffering was a snack to her and she'd use any opportunity received to cause it. That included the one she arrived to the government building for. The silk-white haired fourteen year old entered a meeting room on the ground floor. Waiting within was a young male of a similar hair color. A sly smile was the premier feature on his face, despite his bright, metallic gold irises. A small briefcase was placed on the desk. The male unlocked the seals and revealed what was encased when Tanoshimi approached. There were three special, tanto-sized blades along with three Amegakure forehead protectors. "Your personal shipment has arrived as you wished, Miss Ryūketsu."

"Save your formalities with me, Misuto." Tanoshimi closed the briefcase and took it from the desk to her side. "Thank for your country's cooperation. I wasn't expecting you to deliver this yourself"

"Oh please, if I didn't bring it myself I wouldn't be able to see your lovely—"

"Shut your mouth."

"You're as rude as ever."

"So be it," smirked Tanoshimi.

"I hear you've discovered where Akua and her mother is."

"Yes, I have," she confirmed, turning to face the door.

"What do you plan to do?"

"You'll see. The… Chunin Selection Exams are fast approaching, Misuto."

Tanoshimi walked towards the exit with her wispy strands of hair dancing behind her. The adolescent's beauty was just a mask however, for the devil that resided within. What Misuto couldn't see as she left the room was a smile so disgustingly malicious that it made him look like a harmless child.

 **A/N: That concludes the chapter! What's being plotted for these exams..? The next chapter will be the official beginning of the perilous test! Stay tuned for more, favorite, follow and review!**


	6. Chunin Exams Part 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you bearing with me and I apologize for the late release. This week was hectic for me with all my school work and assignment deadlines but I was determined to get this chapter out.**

 **To answer your questions BirdsofPrey, it's difficult right now with my schedule to make these chapters longer than they are right now, as you can see, when releasing every two weeks. But in the future, when I'm more caught up with myself, a double chapter release wouldn't be out of the question.**

 **Now, for the first part of the official Chunin Exams Arc! Enjoy!**

 **Ch 6**

 **Chunin Exams Part 1**

The emptiness of a void, spiraling from darkness to plum purple tore a hole into this fabric of reality. Through it stepped a man of an almost similar nature. The soles of Sasuke Uchiha's sandals crunched into the topsoil of a vacant forest. With them came the rest of his midnight blue cloak, finally able to billow in the wind. The portal closed behind him the moment he stood upright. It took him awhile due to his being at a loss of chakra. His condition was further stressed when he opened his eyes. His once vibrant, rippling Rinnegan had lost its tomoe and was deactivated. The color of his sclera shifted to white, and his irises a pitch black. The Sharingan in his right eye suffered the same. His eyelids felt heavy. Looking up towards the canopy of leaves, he saw vastness of the stars that scattered the sky along with the giant orb that reflected white light off of his pupil. Sasuke quietly took his first exhausting step, then a second, walking down the dirt path he appeared on.

Sasuke's whereabouts were both clear and unclear at the same time. Common knowledge among the Five Kage was that he was searching for any remains of the Mother of all Chakra, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. With his Rinnegan, he was able to detect traces of her presence while also being able to travel through her dimensions. This took a considerable amount of chakra in which excessive realm hopping would drain him. Before officially receiving this top secret mission however, he'd discovered all the white zetsu buried underneath the earth. Much of his time afterwards was spent scouring the globe for their locations and disposing of them. There was no need for them to exist after all. For all he knew, they could plot to revive the madwoman once more. This way, Sasuke prevented that. It was a dark path of death that he walked, but he walked it voluntarily all for the sake of the city, or as he always remembered it, the village. He was the pillar that supported Konoha from the shadows while Naruto was the bridge in the light that helped everyone get by. Sasuke accepted this role as Konoha's darkness as a way to repent for his past sins. It was the reason why he spent so much time away from the city.

Every once in awhile, Sasuke would return to the old war torn lands of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, where the damaged fields had eroded steadily over the decade. Each time he scoured the areas for remains. He then would travel back to all of the extra dimensional sites where Kaguya was battled. There were no traces anywhere except for in the dimension where he and Naruto sealed her into a moon. Her empty presence still lingered. However, Sasuke still had a bad feeling. There would be times where he felt two extremely distant chakras whenever he travelled to Kaguya's dimension. Yet, he was never able to put a finger on who or what it was.

The Uchiha had just returned from one of these trips. There was a sour taste in his mouth. It had been so for over a month, ever since Naruto gave him a second call the day after the first one. The information Naruto relayed to him was unexpectedly devastating. It had been etched into his mind ever since. As the man trotted along the path, he staggered to the right and slammed the side of his fist into the bark of a tree to stop himself, small splinters raining off of the impact. The thoughts would weigh him down sometimes. "Akua…" he would mumble and chant the name under his breath repeatedly. It was true. Everything Naruto said was true. It was undeniable but he still couldn't believe it. What was more destructive was why he couldn't remember anything about interacting sexually with Karin. There had to be a reason for this, but the undying truth was that Sarada was no longer his only child. There was a second, and perhaps a third that were actually born over a year before Sarada was. Several other thoughts developed due to this. The first was the fact that he had not a shred of memory of who these children were. They've never met each other. He was already a less than adequate father to Sarada, only having seen her as a child before leaving. He forgot her age; Naruto had to remind him that she was nine years old. Sasuke wouldn't be able to recognize her anymore. It was all because of his work as a shinobi. Now there are even more children that he's failed to be a father to. The idea caused him to sink from the side of the tree to his knee, where he stayed for nearly half an hour teary eyed. As much as he wanted to be a good parent, he wasn't able to. Therefore, he saw this as another payment for his sin which he had to endure. A gust of wind carried through the desolate forest above him. Thousands of miles away as he despaired, there was someone else who was hopeful.

* * *

Through the gales bolted a raven haired, violet eyed, eleven year old Uchiha girl. Her sandals thudded into hard oaken branches every so often as she zoomed from tree to tree. It was over a month after her birthday occurred in the middle of December in the Land of Fire. The girl didn't mind the cold, she'd developed a high tolerance threshold towards it due to Genesis. However, she still elected to wear a comfortable pair of black shorts during the winter season. Along with the change to shorts, she wore a new, stylish purple scarf that was knitted for her personally by Hinata. The beloved article of clothing brandished itself in the wind behind her hoodie along with her hair that had grown a bit longer. It extended past the end of her neck this time by about three quarters of a inch. It was only noticeable by herself because she'd decided to grow it out.

As Akua travelled, she felt a presence approaching behind her from the southeast. A grin crept onto her face once she recognized it. From that direction came second Konoha genin, Yashiro Hyūga. His eyes were defined by his pale lavender Byakugan. He wore a zipped up indigo windbreaker over a thick sweater layer with gray shinobi pants and sandals that matched his upper article of clothing. A Konoha forehead protector wrapped around his head underneath his hickory colored, medium length hair. It was clear that he paid a lot of attention to it because of how well it was styled. Most was combed perfectly over to the right for a side bang that ended towards the middle of his face. The rest remained on the left. Small strands of brown fell over the steel of the Konoha insignia. "Took you long enough to catch up, slow poke," Akua mocked.

"Hmph. Gimmie a break, Akua. Sorry I couldn't complete my part as fast as you," Yashiro replied, now used to the way his teammate teased him.

"Where's Usagi? Shouldn't she be caught up with us by now?" she asked.

The Hyūga shrugged, "Probably still with that boy even though it's clear he's already safe. We defeated his assailants awhile ago, she should know that."

"Flirting on the mission, typical," sighed the girl, "I knew we shouldn't have let her be the main bodyguard."

Their recently formed three-man squad was taking part in one of their many completed missions. Akua was able to join this squad in time for the chunin exams because their previous squad member moved out of the village the day after she immigrated, much to her favor. Since the Monday after her birthday, the new team were being tasked with various missions and underwent training to develop their ability to work together. However, their efforts did not prove as effective as they hoped. Even though Yashiro and Usagi were three years older and well above the average genin skill wise, they had a hard time measuring up with Akua. The gap existed not only in their skill but the way they communicated at first. The Uchiha was distant and lacked interest in interacting with them, especially Usagi, though she was not openly disrespectful to them. When the time came, Akua ironically was the one who insisted that they work together to complete their missions. As time passed, Yashiro grew fond while Usagi's relationship with her remained stagnant. She bickered and argued with the Uchiha at times, most of which Akua would shrug off entirely. Nevertheless, Usagi learned to overcome their differences. The concept of teamwork was stressed by their sensei, whom Akua was not very fond of herself, Sakura Haruno, formally known as Sakura Uchiha.

When Akua found out that Sakura was the jonin leader of the squad, she was reluctant to join. There was an invisible conflict between her mother and this woman that she knew very little about. Sakura didn't know much either. She was unaware of Akua's bloodline or Sasuke's relationship with Karin. It seem that no one but Karin herself knew the full truth. Sakura was most likely the reason why Karin was full of such hatred for such a long period of time. There was bound to be some sort of carried over resentment for Sakura to Akua herself. Not only was the married Uchiha woman Sasuke's wife, but she was also Sarada's mother. It felt odd for Akua to be in the squad of the mother of a girl that she injured while still in the academy. That event was all Sakura knew about her at the moment. Akua was not the only one with mixed feelings.

Both Yashiro and Akua were travelling to their sensei's location after accomplishing their assignments. They were instructed to split up during the mission. Usagi was the main bodyguard of their client while the other two were positioned within a 100m radius of them. Their job was to intercept any individuals that were sent to take the life of the Feudal Lord's grandson, whom was being escorted back to the protection of his hometown. This was one of several unfortunate attempts at the lives within the Lord's family. Sakura was position to guard against potential reinforcements. The team contacted each other, informing themselves of neutralized targets and the mission coming to an end. A rendezvous point was designated for them to return to afterwards, where Sakura was waiting.

The Hyūga and Uchiha arrived before schedule. Usagi on the other hand was late. The only thing she was consistent with was her tardiness. Sakura placed her forehead in her palm, disappointed that she would keep them waiting again. Twenty minutes after their deadline, Usagi landed in the clearing with them. She was a member of the Shimura clan and the granddaughter of the infamous Danzo Shimura. Unlike her grandfather, she possessed bright auburn hair, tied into a ponytail that extended to her shoulders. Glossy amber eyes and soft features defined her face. She wore a thigh-length, hooded, beige coat with an inner fur layer of various shades of brown. The coat hugged the frame of her body and strapped along her back was an onyx hilted naginata that she carried around for missions. Black leggings comforted her lower body with a pair of open toed boots for her feet. Yashiro was the first one to speak up to her. "Is there a reason why you're so late?" he scolded.

"Uhm," she paused, thinking of a believable lie, "well you see…I couldn't find my way here back from the town."

"Are you that dense that you forgot where we would meet up? Or perhaps you were spending a little extra time with the Feudal boy?"

"Oh please, why would you ever think that?" she laughed faintly, sensing that he saw through the ruse. Everyone did.

Yashiro rolled his eyes. "Knowing your track record—"

"Okay!" Sakura interrupted, clapping her hands together. "Everyone's healthy? No injuries? Good, now let's go home!" She shot a quick glance at Akua before she turned to lead her squad. The girl was posted against the trunk of a tree with her eyes shut. The woman was constantly receiving odd yet familiar vibes from her that she couldn't understand. It worried her to an extent, but she dismissed the feelings each time.

Team 5, as they were formally called, headed towards the direction of Konoha on foot. There weren't able to use transport because no active railways existed in or around the Feudal Lord's town. It was one of the few places that was kept primarily traditional. The town was only about 120 miles from the city, however. At full speed, unrestricted by civilians, they would be there in less than two hours.

Before long, the team entered through the grand front gates of Konoha. A massive road cut through the city from its entrance to Rasen, and all the way to the Hokage's Mansion in the Academy district of Adachi. Akua was ready to leave, waving goodbye before Sakura called for her to wait a moment. "Here," she said, handing each of them a piece of thick, sand colored paper. "I'm sure you were all aware of this already."

Held in Akua's hand was the Chunin Selection Exam registration form. Her eyes widened at the realization of the document. She wasn't sure of what to say when she received it. Her teammates on the other hand weren't surprised. They had been through two Exams before this one.

"If you can return those to me by tomorrow morning, that'd be great. Sorry I waited so long to give them to you, I kept forgetting," Sakura defended, scratching the back of her head.

"It's about time!" boomed Usagi. She had no tolerance for her sensei's foolery, but still found it amusing.

"We leave in two days, 9 am at the international station,"—her head shifted directly to Usagi with her eyes narrowed—"and don't, be late."

The girl looked away and puffed air.

Akua strode off calmly as the meeting ended, before turning a corner and darting home with her scarf etching a purple trail behind her in a jubilant frenzy. She didn't want them to see her so excited. The girl bolted through all the shortcuts to her neighborhood. Konoha had become rather familiar to her during her month of living there, the southernmost parts at least. Everywhere she went this month, there seemed to be people setting up decorations for some sort of event. Karin was caught by surprise when her daughter stormed in. She was immediately informed of the situation when Akua arrived. After signing the papers and getting a bite to eat for lunch, she spent the rest of the day preparing herself for the travel. She made sure all her equipment was ready first, traveling to the local smith to clean and sharpen her ninja tools. Everything was packed in her pouches. Several different nutritional and replenishing pills were added as well. After that, she got her clothing ready. She would be away for at least a month, so she brought more than enough changes of casual clothing as well as ninja gear. The last thing she packed was a new weapon she purchased. The flawless steel blade of her ninjato blessed the inaudible bedroom with the sharp sounds of it's craft when she sheathed it. There was a click when the bandage wrapped hilt connected with the scabbard. It was propped up against her navy blue travel backpack in the corner of her room.

Akua laid in bed at the end of the day unable to fall asleep. The girl was too busy looking forward to the Exams. They marked another milestone in her shinobi life that would eventually bring her close to being able to look for her brother. As a Chunin, she'd have the ability to accept more difficult missions and request to be sent outside of the country without the supervision of a Jonin. Searching for Senshi's whereabouts was something that she and her mother had to do alone in her mind. Karin was already on his case, taking every opportunity she could to leave the village in search of clues around Kusagakure. At least, that was all she thought she was doing. Akua bent her neck and rolled her right shoulder to stretch it out. It felt tense again, and it wasn't the first time. Every once in awhile she would feel tight muscle spasms in that area of her body, though they weren't excruciating. She would usually ignore the pains and sleep them off. Hopefully, this would subside by morning. She planned on going to Sakura's house first thing in the morning in order to deliver the form, then she would go about her business. A faint thought lingered in the back of her mind. Going to her house would risk meeting Sarada again. Akua wasn't afraid to confront the girl, and all thoughts soon quelled themselves as the she fell into a gradual slumber.

* * *

It was a brisk, chilled Thursday morning in mid December. Akua strolled along the sidewalk with her registration form and a cellphone in each hand. Her right thumb tapped at the screen as she wrote and sent a text message to Kakashi. Ding! Rang her phone a few minutes later. She confirmed a meet between them for one last day of training before she left for the exams. The plan was to make her way to the new mountainous location they had been using over the past few weeks after she delivered the form to Sakura. Her sensei's house was in view now.

The neighborhood Akua arrived in was spacious with the emeralds of plant life, as expected of the suburbs of Konoha. She stepped up on the front porch of a home with the Uchiha crest imprinted at both sides of the door frame. Her eyes focused on the doorbell as she was reluctant to lift her finger. She soon exhaled any unwanted feelings and accepted what may happen. When the doorbell rang, Akua could hear someone approaching. Her heart wanted to jump from her chest. The mechanisms in the door unlocked. Standing in front of the unbeknown half-sister was Sarada Uchiha.

One could hear each step of the ants that crawled in the grass as the two females sized one another. Akua was surprised to see her open the door, although at the same time she expected it. Sarada on the other hand had no clue what the girl was doing at her doorstep. Akua noticed the twitching of Sarada's right hand within a black wrist brace. The brace prevented her from making a full fist. It would be too painful anyway, the bones in her hand had yet to be healed from their last encounter. Sarada gradually squinted at the person that stood in front of her, seething with deep set rage until the silence was interrupted. "What are you doing at my house? How do you know where I live?"

"Don't give me that attitude. I'm here to give this"—she held up the form—"to your mother."

"Does she know you or something?"

"Well, she is my sensei," Akua replied, ignoring the girl's blatant disdain. But she understood the way she felt. She was the one responsible for her wrist. There was a pause after Akua spoke before she spoke again.

"Look," she sighed, "I know you probably don't like me because of what I did. To be honest, I don't like you either. But I'll apologize for what happened, I was angry and wasn't thinking. Now can we admit we got off on the wrong start and let bygones be bygones?"

Sarada disappeared inside of the house, leaving the door open. The rejected attempt forced Akua to grow indifferent. Sakura came to the door after a moment.

"I'm sorry for my daughter's rudeness, I know you two aren't exactly on good terms," she whispered, taking responsibility for Sarada's behavior.

"No, it's okay, don't worry about it. Here,"—Akua handed her the form—"I completed it, sensei," she asserted.

"Oh my, that's great! I wasn't expecting anyone so early, you must be eager to participate, aren't you?"

"I'm actually pretty nervous…I don't know what to expect."

"Well, based on my experience, the only thing you can expect and prepare for is there being really strong participants that you'll eventually have to face! However, the test changes every year, and no information is released until the day of."

"Hm…I see, do you think team 5 will do well this year?"

"Of course! But only if you work together. I can't stress enough how important that is, Akua. It's the one thing my former sensei drilled into my team's head."

"I'm skeptical about how the others see me…you know, as someone they can count on." Akua's gaze shifted to the ground and her expression blank and in question.

"I've known Usagi and Yashiro for three years now," Sakura began, "and never have I seen them admire anyone as much as they admire you. I know this because they always talk to me about you. I'm aware you guys tend to have friction every once in awhile when I'm not around, but now is the time to put it behind you guys. You're all strong enough to kick this test's ass! Shannaro!"

When Akua left the house, her mind was focused on her sensei. Every once in awhile the girl would ponder to herself with thoughts about various people. The two came a long way since their first encounter. Although, it was most likely because Sakura wasn't aware of who Akua really was. These were where her thoughts lie. The question rose as to how Sakura would feel about her if she found out she was the first child of her husband. From the way Sakura carried herself over the past six weeks in the face of Akua's prodding, it was as if she had no knowledge of Sasuke being in a relationship before her. She was under the impression that she was his first and that Sarada was his only child, much to her chagrin. Akua began to realize why her identity had to be kept a secret after a month of being a subordinate, at least for now. If Sakura, after almost twelve years of being together with Sasuke, had found out that there had been someone else before her, it could surely be damage to their relationship. This was especially possible since, the relationship Sasuke had before hers produced children she was still clueless about. It was all for their sake, and that irritated the neglected Uchiha girl. Why did she have to stand in the dark? What was Sasuke to herself anyways? Definitely not a father figure. Why did a relationship that wasn't her mother's matter to her? Such were the culmination of the girl's thoughts. However, they were countered by Sakura's aggressive yet gentle nature. She was always kind to her students. There was no reason why she should have to deal with a situation like this so soon, alone and without the key player present. After all, she was the person entangled in this dangerous triangle that knew the least.

* * *

The brilliant veins of crackling, cyan-tinted light stung the earth with it's violent chirping. The ground underneath it cratered, dismantling itself into weightless stones and pebbles. Blurry flashes zigzagged across the rocky terrain. Earthen chunks cleared way and colossal boulders were turned to fragile glass. Sparks of electricity lingered in the wake of such a tremendous use of the lightning release. The entire mountaintop landscape was carved anew by the power that viciously illuminated a young girl's right hand.

Kakashi stood a great distance from the action for his own safety, meticulously observing Akua. The area that they were located looked more like a child scribbled all around a piece of paper. The only difference was that Akua's pencil was the Chidori, and the land was her canvas. She hung her chakra covered hand down, hunched over from exhaustion. The jutsu dismissed, and Chidori vanished from her palm. Her hands rested on her knees for a moment until she collapsed on her backside. "Good lord, your level of chakra control and stamina is just… unbelieveable," complimented the Sixth Hokage. In truth, he was envious at the capacity of prowess.

"Oh p-please, Kakashi sensei," she heaved, "you're kidding with me." Akua felt like the air was vacant of oxygen when sitting.

"No way, I'm entirely serious! Over six usages of the technique in one day, it's completely unheard of," he babbled on. "Sasuke was never able to do that… it must be that Uzumaki blood," the man concluded.

"I'm not sur-re sensei, I j-just do whatever I c-can." She was content to hear that her physical capabilities exceeded that of her father's at this age.

"You should stand up, there's no oxygen down there."

Akua took heed immediately and stood upright, despite how difficult it was. It was easier to breathe that way.

The Uchiha turned around to face her teacher with the crimson beauty of her eyes. The Sharingan was active during this training. It was the reason the two chose to train in such a secluded place. This way, there was no chance of anyone seeing them. The dojutsu is needed to perform the jutsu after all. Chidori forces its caster to move in a straight line at high speeds because of the nature of lightning. The Sharingan allows for the individual to maneuver themselves accordingly to avoid attacks and change direction. The more mature the Sharingan is, the simpler it is to utilize the technique effectively. "At this rate, I think you'll be able to generate enough power for the Raikiri in a couple months, Akua."

The girl chuckled at her sensei while she deactivated her Sharingan as well, returning to the violet luster of her regular irises. The Raikiri or Lightning Cutter technique was no joke. It was a more advanced and chakra consuming adaptation to the Chidori. Prestiged as an S-rank technique, the Raikiri gained fame throughout the ninja world as Kakashi Hatake utilized it. The jutsu was a guaranteed kill in most cases if hit directly, thus deserving of such a dangerous rank. Even the lower B-rank technique, Chidori, was lethal. Akua was knowledgeable of all of this. In fact, she refused to use the technique to the extent that it would fatally wound someone. It was stressed even further that the technique only be used for the protection of a comrade.

"Sensei," the girl called, taking a seat after her heart rate calmed.

"What's up?"

"Thank you for helping me prepare," she smiled. The gesture lightened Kakashi's mood. This girl was much more polite than her father use to be. He was glad that the gene of Sasuke's attitude didn't carry over, at least not to that extent.

It was about three hours past noon when Akua decided to pack up and call it a day for training. Right as she was about to descend the mountain side, Kakashi called her back. Before she left, he had stressed the importance of how she shouldn't use her Sharingan excessively during the second part of the exam and forbade her from using it in the third. He wasn't going to be around to see any part of the exams though. The man planned on taking a long vacation from the life of a shinobi for awhile.

Akua took herself home first to take a shower. Her clothes were laced in sweat and she had the odor of exercise about her. On the way home she received a text message. It was from Boruto, asking if she was available to hang out that night. She accepted his invitation but admitted that she wouldn't be able to stay very long. She couldn't see, but she knew he was excited that his offer was accepted. They weren't able to meet with each of other as often because his academy schedule wasn't compatible with her missions. This was one of the girl's very few free days, therefore, Akua made an effort to travel to his home once she was showered and presentable. As she walked through the street to Boruto's neighborhood, she noticed colorless particles beginning to blanket the ground. It was snow. The crystal ice rain gently floated down from the clouds when the girl gazed to the heavens. She lifted her hand, grabbing at flakes while she walked and stuck out her tongue to collect some as well. The winter was always her favorite season, and very little was able to delight the young Uchiha the way that snowfall did, especially in Konoha. Not only that, but it was also her first time witnessing it snow in the village. She feared that it wouldn't precipitate here in this new home, but she was gladly proven wrong.

At around 5 pm, Akua was in the Uzumaki household once more, slouched along the couch in the living room. She was in such comfort that it felt like she was in her own home now. Within her hands was one of Boruto's new combat video games. Sound effects of battle emitted from the device while Boruto, sitting across from her, possessed a second. They were playing against each other, and the boy had trouble keeping up. His body language read intensity due to the way he hunched over the game and held it close to his face, the exact opposite of Akua. "Why is it so difficult to beat you!" He complained.

Akua shrugged, "Hm, I don't know, I guess I just press a couple button's pretty quickly and figure out the controls eventually."

"Yea but, anyone can know the controls and not know how to play still!" he responded as the last bit of his character's health was depleted from the bar. The boy sighed in frustration and collapsed back in the couch, and " _You Lose!_ " was written in big bloody letters across the screen.

Other than those two playing the video game, the house was unusually quiet for a Friday night. Naruto was away at work. His job had become more demanding over the past few weeks. There were some nights where he would come home at hours past midnight and nights where he wouldn't come home at all. Hinata stayed at home most of the time to take care of Himawari. In about a year, the little girl would be of age to attend the Academy. However, until then, the majority of her time was spent with her mother. At the moment, Hinata was located in the kitchen in the next from. Himawari kept herself busy upstairs in her room with all the toys she could play with. Video games like what Boruto and Akua played didn't appeal to her.

Following the conclusion of their virtual match, an inquiry surfaced within Akua's mind. It was something she had been pondering all day. "Boruto," she finally asked, "everywhere I went today, there were people setting up for some kind of festival. Do you know what's going on?"

"Totally! How do you not know?"

"I'm not exactly native to Konoha, you idiot."

Boruto's expression twisted into annoyance. "The Rinne Festival is coming up, ya dummy. Ya know, if you're gonna start living here you should at least research the traditions, Ku-chan!" He taunted.

Akua stuck her tongue out at him in return, drawing disruptive laughter from the boy.

"It starts in a week and a half, the Wednesday after next Friday. It's a day that use to just be for prayer but it's turned into a festival holiday now. You exchange gifts with the people you care about. People usually start setting up early because of this."

"I see…" Akua nodded, "we never had anything like that in Kusagakure."

"Aw, that's no good!" Boruto joked, but he quickly realized that his friend was distressed. "Ku-chan, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, was just hoping to be able to experience it this year," she responded after a moment.

"Why wouldn't you be able to?"

"I'm taking part in the Chunin Exams, so I'll be away from the city for at least a month unfortunately…"

"How come I didn't hear about this?" he questioned, clearly confused.

"These exams aren't sponsored by Konoha, they're sponsored by Kumogakure. That'll be where the test is administered. It was supposed to only be their ninja plus a couple from other nations, but your dad and the Sixth were able to squeeze me in with my team. We're the only Konoha team."

"Wow…that really sucks."

Akua nodded, demonstrating her solemn yet resigned feelings. Boruto appeared to be distraught as well. He got up from his seat. Akua watched him heading towards the exit of the living room before he turned back and gestured for her to follow him. Both entered the boy's room, and Akua waited in the center as he reached his shelves. When he turned to approach her, he held a plain black-cased box in his hand. "I didn't have time to wrap it for you since I just got it the other day, but… here," he explained, holding the box out and making sure not to meet her gaze by looking to the side. The girl took the object from him.

"Hm… what's this, Boruto?"

"It's the gift I was gonna give you, ya dummy. You aren't going to be here when the time comes so…I thought I'd… give it to you now, ya know. When do you leave anyways?" He quickly changed the subject.

"Tomorrow," she replied, beginning to open up the box.

"Damn, it's a good thing I called you over today, huh?"

Akua nodded again. She was more fixated on the fact that Boruto had a present waiting for her. She took into account what he had said about the Rinne Festival earlier. Did he care that much about her to buy a gift? Perhaps that was the case. The lid of the box was removed and out came the wire-linking of a necklace laced between Akua's fingers. Her heart throbbed against her chest when she witnessed the reveal of the sparkling amethyst gemstone at the end of it. It possessed a similar shape to the bolt necklace that Boruto wore around his neck. "N-no way…" she denied her eyesight, "you're…joking with me."

"It's yours, I'm bein' serious!" he declared, embarrassment being manually forced away from his expression.

"Boruto…" she was speechless. Akua was able to see her reflection through the crystal in total high definition. It's beauty was only matched by her violet irises.

"Go on, try it on."

She unclicked the hook and placed it around her neck with care. The carved gemstone rested just underneath her collarbone and against her chest. She went over to Boruto's mirror, which he hung against the wall of his closet door, and examined herself. The necklace perfectly complimented the hue of her eyes. "I-I didn't even get you a gift… you shouldn't have…"

"It's fine, you didn't know," he said with a slight smile. "You can—"

Akua interrupted the boy, turning to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. Boruto was caught off guard. He didn't know what to do and stood still motionless for at least a minute. His face filled with the scarlet hue of a cherry. "Hug me you idiot," she demanded. It was the first time a girl, other than his mother or sister, had hugged him. It was like an unspoken milestone.

The girl patiently awaited the boy to return her rare affection. However instead, he whipped himself from her grasp, fell against his rolling computer chair and crashed into the ground next to his bed, looking like he'd just ran a marathon. "Gah!" he barked, "What are you tryna do? Attack me with your cooties? I almost died!" His tone was childish and exaggerated. Akua's left eye twitched because of that corner of her lips creeping up into a crazed smirk. The ticked girl stepped forward, towering above Boruto. She exuded an aura that clawed at his skin and wrenched his heart in fear. Shadows of her bangs cascaded over her eyes. All he could see was the terrifying smile. Crackle! The sound of her knuckles popped as she pressured each of them with her palms.

"How. Dare. You…" she growled.

Boruto slid himself across the ground, trying create space but she refused. His back was stopped by his desk. "K-Ku-chan, I was just kidding…" he cowered.

"Boruto…" she murmured, unresponsive to his pleas. She was right above him now.

"Come on, I didn't mean it…" he begged with a weak chuckle.

"Boruto!"

Hinata heard the thudding and rumbling upstairs, as well as Akua's voice. It was obvious that her son had done something regretful. His distress was most likely well deserved, so she remained downstairs tending to her cooking and dismissed it as horse-play. Himawari on the other hand wasn't able to hear anything. She had headphones in her ears connected to a music playing device while she laid along the comfort of her bed. The ruckus subsided eventually, and the house was quiet again. The two other females in the house carried along as if nothing happened.

Boruto was sprawled out against his bedroom floor. Various objects such as books, pencils and paper were scattered around him. He had a fresh bump protruding through his hair and a battered left cheek. Akua sighed and started to restore his room to its natural state as he stirred back to consciousness. She'd thrown him around quite a few times. When he came to, he saw her picking up downed books and replacing them to their spot on his shelves. Akua crouched at his side with her arms cross along her knees, gazing down at his slightly open, bright azure eyes. Despite the manner in which she beat him, he fashioned a smile on his face. She once again couldn't resist its contagiousness. "Boruto, why do you have to be so dumb sometimes," she teased. He was able to see the glimmer of the gem hanging around her neck.

"Heh, I wish I knew, Ku-chan."

"Thank you, idiot, this necklace, it really means a lot."

"Really? Well, I figured out what you can do in return for me." He shifted his head towards her. The girl raised an eyebrow.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Promise me you'll become a Chunin after these exams…" he said, lifting his arm a couple inches off the ground and holding his fist out.

Akua stared wide-eyed at his request then grinned at his gesture. She bumped his fist with her own, silently sealing the deal.

* * *

The train ride to the Lightning country took nearly two full days. Team 5 occupied one of the luxury bullet trains, catered to by the generosity of Naruto. This made all of the difference, as those two days felt like nothing. It was a small, private convoy. Each member of the team received their railcar that served as their room. It was furnished with a bed, a dresser that had a mirror against the wall above it, and several sofas. Next to the bed was a mini fridge, stocked with canned drinks, protein snacks, fruits and sliced vegetables. In the top left corner of each car was a small full bathroom. Attached to the right wall of the car, directly across from the bed was a flat-screened television. Everything was absolutely perfect and to their liking.

It wasn't difficult to realize that they'd entered a new country when the terrain changed from a landscape of plant life and forestry to one of a predominantly rocky and mountainous nature. When the train pulled into a complete stop at the country's main hub, they weren't exactly in Kumogakure yet. They were still several miles away. The trains, however, weren't able to pass through the city because it was built entirely within the mountains and literally hidden by the clouds. Therefore, team five had to travel the rest of the way on foot after exiting the station, which only took about ten minutes. Once there, they had to scale the mountain. Luckily, an extensive system of stairs were present that made entrance to the village slightly easier than it was in the past. Clouds lumbered past the four-man group and chilled, thin winds brushed their skin. It was significantly colder in Kumogakure for two main reasons. The first was that it was farther north than Konoha was. The second was due to the village being at such a high altitude. The air was naturally colder compared to the surface because there was less atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, there was less oxygen in the air, which made it difficult for anyone to partake in any excessive physical activity if they weren't use to it. It was the reason why all foreign participants of the exam were suggested to arrive at least a week early of the test date in order to acclimate to the lack of oxygen. That simple attribute gave Kumo genin a definite advantage.

Akua spent the rest of the week jogging each day through Kumogakure with her teammates. Both of them were bundled up in as much clothing as they could be without losing any range of motion. Although not as modern as Konoha was, the Cloud village was bustling with life. Enormous clearings were carved out of the mountains to create several levels of flat valleys in between mountain peaks. Within them were buildings that were constructed in correspondence with the earthen surroundings and even ones built into the mountains themselves. The entire architecture of the village was astonishing. To the far end of the city was the tallest mountain, and the most intriguing structure. It was the gigantic, pristine glass building that the Raikage resided which resembled an inverted triangle. It was perhaps Akua's favorite attraction to the city.

The day of the first test rolled around faster than anyone would have expected. Before they knew it, team 5 was within the Kumogakure Academy building. This was where they had to report to for sign in registration. They were directed to a spacious, auditorium sized room to complete this task before they advanced to the first part of the test. Akua followed behind her squadmates with Yashiro being the one to slide the door open. When the first two entered the room, the brightness of their clothing garnered each individual's malicious glare. There were at least one hundred genin, each of different shapes and sizes. Yet, they all shared on thing in common. When Akua realized it, sensing it through the aura emitted in the room, she was brought back to her early years in Kusagakure. The stench of angst permeated the air because of it, enough that Akua's teammates, whom were now three time veterans of the exam, were quivering. She stepped in front of her perspirating partners. She was sure of it now. Of course, it was exactly what she'd sniffed it out to be. The Chunin Exams were no ordinary test. Just by stepping into that room, every single individual who did not have the label of your team or the same insignia on your forehead protector instantly became your enemy. Every single person in that stood in the room, was ready to kill at any moment's notice, and perhaps with no hesitation. It was all too familiar to the young Uchiha.

"Hey," Yashiro whispered, "let's go sign in already." His voice cut the tethers that bound his teammates in place.

"Yea, come on," muttered Usagi. Akua followed behind them again. She was the smallest person in the room next to Usagi, who was a couple inches taller. Her stature didn't bother her though. She battled the scorn transmitted towards her through the chill of her own frosty glares. Now wasn't the time for games. Every one meant business, and once signed in, backing out meant the disqualification of her team. She couldn't let them down now.

An announcement came on that informed all genin that they would be escorted to the site of the first test in five minutes. Akua used that time to assess the present participants. As would be natural, a majority of them hailed from Kumogakure itself. This was their exam after all. The next largest group of participants were from Shimogakure of the Land of Frost, which bordered the Land of Lightning. Behind them were shinobi from Yugakure of the Land of Hot Water, which bordered the Land of Frost and Fire, ironically. The smallest percentage of participants were the three teams from Otogakure of the Land of Sound, a team from Amegakure and themselves, the only team from Konohagakure.

"Mmm," hummed Usagi, "that guy over there in the corner is kinda hot." She nudged Akua's arm with her right elbow. The Uchiha turned her head towards the person she was referring to. Only the side of his face was visible. He had a head of full, dirty blond hair that was combed back to shoulder length. Side bangs draped the frame of his face, covering his jaw line and a black forehead protector rested underneath against his head. When she got a clear vision of his headband, she could see the Amegakure insignia imprinted on it. A second Amegakure team? But this boy's face, it was strikingly familiar to her.

"Usagi, can't you stop thinking about boys for one mo—"

Akua's words choked up in her throat, and she gulped them back down. Her eyes widened and her pupils contracted at the sight of an individual that sat within a chair in front of where the blonde boy was facing. Goosebumps layered across Akua's now pale skin. The ivory luster was drained immediately. Her body was trapped in a nonexistent block of trembling ice. Her heart sank and throbbed in her stomach now. A cold bead of sweat crawled its way down the side of her face. _What is SHE doing here…_ she panicked. Yashiro took notice of his friend. Her body was vibrating but at the same time, she was petrified.

"Akua, what's up with you?" he worried.

Unresponsive.

"Akua…" he shoved.

Unresponsive.

Yashiro finally decided to look in the direction that both females seemed to be focused on. He only caught a glimpse of what Akua saw before she pulled both of her teammates away. Sitting in the seat was a young teenaged girl. She wore tall black boots that were sharp at the toes, and her baggy, dark colored shinobi pants were tucked into them. A blood crimson trench coat with ornate, golden cufflinks around the end of the sleeves was tied around her waist. An Amegakure headband was tied into it. The tight, garnet crop top she wore left her toned midriff open. The article of clothing was sleeveless, and hooked around her neck, leaving only a section of her back covered if visible. Her left elbow was pressed into the armrest, and she had her cheek slouched in the same palm. Her arms were covered up to the middle of the biceps with extended black gloves that hugged her fair skin. Around her neck was a gray choker with a glistening gold dragon pendant. The girl's most distinct features included the silky long white hair that fell perfectly around her face, and a pair of platinum silver irises with pupils that were almost slitted. She had a gaze that would chew out the heart of a devil and it just so happened to catch a glance of a certain black haired, violet eyed girl she was looking for. The way the girl tried to tug her friends away made her smirk.

"Oh…my adorable little Akua… I can't wait for us to play," she muttered, chuckling underneath her lips.

* * *

Team 5 was now out of that girl's line of sight, hidden behind a group of chattering Kumo genin. It was almost time for the first test to begin, 45 seconds worth of time to be exact. There was a large digital timer in the center of the wall across from you when you walked in. "What are you doing, Akua," Yashiro asked.

"It's nothing I just saw—"

"Ha! Scared? Is the big bad Akua finally scared of something?" Usagi nagged.

"You don't understan—"

"No I understand, you're afraid because everyone else in the room intimidates you."

"Usagi," Akua tried to chime in.

"Let me tell you something, after two previous exams, I have the experience to say the only thing that fear is good for is getting you killed."

Yashiro cut in, "Usagi, enough."

"No," she refused, "this little kid needs to know."

"Shut up." The firmness of Akua's voice was unexpected. "I'm not some 'little kid', you don't know the first thing about me at all. You don't know shit. Just because I'm younger than you doesn't mean I haven't seen more."

"You know, I've always wondered," Usagi started, "you act so tough on the outside, but are you really?"

"What are you trying to say…" Akua sneered.

"If Yashiro was held at the point of a kunai, and the enemy told you that you had killed me or he dies, would you do it? Would you kill the enemy? Would you… kill?" Usagi grilled the girl on an open flame.

Akua couldn't form a single word, stumped by her teammate's assertion.

"Wrong answer."

The timer fell to 0:00 and blared.

All participants were lead outside by three test proctors. They stopped as they came to the beginning of a chasm that was cut in between the mountains. Two hundred meters across it spanned a narrow, wobbling wooden bridge. "Once we cross this bridge," the procter stated, "we will be at the site of the first exam."

Akua didn't hear much of what was said. She had been zoned out ever since Usagi had verbally assaulted her, questioning her resolve. A typical quarrel except, this one hit home. Every once in awhile, Yashiro would look back as she strolled behind he and Usagi. She stared at the ground the entire way. Usagi didn't seem to feel any remorse. She refused to let Akua take charge in this situation, this mission, the Chunin Exam. This was her only area of expertise that exceeded the Uchiha. The proctor spoke again. "Choose one individual from your team to cross the bridge first. There is simply too many of us to cross all at once."

Each team was reluctant at first, but eventually, 42 genin stepped forward. Usagi insisted on being the one that was to cross first for her team. The proctors let the genin file onto the bridge first. Akua recollected at that moment, realizing a minute detail. Instead of leading the group this time, he followed behind them. About one hundred meters into the bridge, the proctor halted.

"Commence."

The man leaped back from his position and landed on the original side of the bridge. Many of the genin were aware that he'd disappeared, but everyone was falling by then. There was a mechanism in the deceivingly decrepit bridge that caused the flooring to vanish underneath their feet. And down they went.

The bottom of the chasm wasn't visible. It had to be at least hundreds of meters in depth. The panicked reaction shrieks of the 42 unlucky genin was all that pierced the thin winter breeze ripping at their bodies. A second had passed since the ground disappeared underneath them. Due to gravity they'd already fallen ten meters. At the halfway point of that second, thread-thin, steel wiring fell from the sides of the original bridge support railing. It was only 15 meters long. In order for them to keep themselves from imminent death, they had to grab hold of a practically invisible rope in less than a second after it was released. Had two seconds gone by, they would have fallen 20 meters and out of the reach of the wire. They had a five meter, fraction of a second threshold to save themselves. Usagi was one who had the ability to react to such a sudden shift in events, and with a meter to spare, she was able to latch her right hand around the wire. Unfortunately, a few people failed to realize their situation in time. About ten genin presumably fell to their dooms after the allotment. Each of them, contrary to the assumption, fell onto a transparent, chakra-netted, mattress-like structure that cushioned their fall. They were then treated however, with a stunning discharge of lightning based ninjutsu upon impact. It was enough to render them immobile for at least a day.

"WELCOME!" boomed the main proctor, "This is the 86th annual, Kumogakure Chunin Selection Exams! I see everyone is quite surprised! Consider this the first test!"

The 31 genin who barely survived the opening portion focused in on the vociferous speech that echoed back and forth throughout the chasm. Some of the others at the ledge had to cover their ears.

"Let me now explain the rules! If your teammate was not able to get a hold of one of the steel wires, your entire squad has just been eliminated from this exam! You may now exit quietly!"

But there was an indignant uproar by the 11 squads that had automatically failed the test. They believed it wasn't a fair treatment because they weren't notified of the rules, it was all by surprise.

"As Chunin, you will partake in dangerous, higher ranked missions that have the potential to cost you your life! You never know what may go wrong! A mission is never as perfectly planned as it is originally written out, especially those above C-rank! A Chunin must be able to react and adapt to a situation with impeccable speed. Two seconds may be the difference between life and death! By failing to do this, you've disrupted the mission and decreased the probability of completion!"

The man's words were reasonable, which led for the teammates to be resentful to their unconscious comrades. Some argued that they didn't get a chance to put their best member forward, but the proctor stressed a team is only as strong as its weakest link. Furthermore, death knocked on anyone's door, there was no preparing for it, only preventing it from happening when the time came in terms of being a shinobi. You cannot choose that phenomena.

"As for the rest of you baby-shuriken slinging maggots, your job is to rescue your teammate before they plunder! It is up to them to persevere and hold on! Disqualification is absolutely certain if your teammate cannot return to this side of the chasm!"

The situation was dire. As he spoke, two more genin fell into a bath of electricity. Usagi was hanging on by a thread. The muscles in her arm grew weaker and weaker each second. She tightened her core in order to keep her body weight in place, but all it wanted to do was fall.

"AKUA! YASHIRO! HURRY. UP."

She clenched her eyes and teeth, soaking up the excruciating pain of her biceps shredding from being stretched so far. Blood rushed to the center of her face. Her palms grew clammy, and she began to slip. The remaining members of team 5 remained motionless, both seething in anxiety and unsure of what to do. Usagi was at least 110 meters away from them. It was impossible to leap over or even throw a kunai that someone could use. Akua had to come up with something fast. Quick thinking was not Yashiro's cup of tea and he was perhaps the most stressed out of all three of them because the situation was breaking down around him. He couldn't stand disorder.

Other teams were already starting their own countermeasures. As expected, there would be teams that chose wisely, and had a member or two that could easily get them out of the situation. One of the premier abilities was the use of Magnet Release to simply pull their teammate back to their side. Some had flight capabilities, whether it be through summoning or their own ninjutsu. Akua glanced at the Amegakure team under suspicion. She wasn't certain of what she had saw earlier. There was no way it was _that_ person and there was no way that she would be a ninja of Amegakure. The girl in question was nowhere to be seen however. She wasn't near the ledge, only the blonde haired male from before. While examining him, she noticed the technique that he used. It was the rare and thought to have been extinct Ice Release. "No…no way," Akua muttered in disbelief. The boy had created an extended platform that his muscular, black haired partner simply walked across. The sheet of frozen liquid shattered behind him as he approached and stepped onto the ledge. This one wasn't as familiar as the other looked, but the blond haired shinobi had done something that solidified Akua's dreadful speculation. From his pocket he withdrew a solid gold coin that he flicked into the air and snatched over and over, repeating the process. She was certain of who it was now, of who they were. The thought made her stomach gnaw at her insides.

Akua, having found a vexed determination, turned abruptly, whipping a kunai out and over the chasm. The tip of the steel travelled at such a piercing velocity that the frosty air split around it. At the same time, she dashed over to where the bridge began. The girl undid the supportive roping as her knife split the material about 150 meters down its length. With this she sprinted back to the Hyūga, tying one end of the cord around her waist and lashing the rest over to their ledge. "Here," she blurted out, handing him the other end of the long rope which she had already knotted to the end of a second kunai, "hold on to this for me."

"What the hell do you plan on doing!" he asked.

"I'm gonna go get Usagi, what else? Now use your air palm!" she shouted while running and leaping from the edge of the chasm.

"When!"

"Now!"

Akua was 50 meters out and 50 meters high, starting to fall when a precision blast of chakra propelled her forward. The length of the cord rapidly began to unravel after her. Yashiro wasn't aware until late, when it began to tug at his body. Usagi was fading, her palm slipped and she descended. The Uchiha shifted her body, holding her limbs together to pick up speed. She dropped like a guillotine, fast enough that she was able to capture Usagi and swing back towards the ledge by the torque of the cord. Yashiro was being pulled by the weight of both his teammates, dragged across the ground even though he'd stabbed the kunai into the earth. Akua, with an unresponsive Usagi in her arms, swooped down to the wall of the chasm. She stopped herself with the soles of her sandals, burying foot sized craters into the chasm side. They were approximately 30 meters from the point of failure. She took a step, scaling the chasm with the support of chakra at her feet. The impact of the landing, however, had launched Yashiro into the air. He released the kunai as to not be flung out but instead propelled upwards at the last minute. Akua activated her engines and bolted the remaining 270 meters to the surface in a little more than five seconds. With Yashiro in her sights, she threw Usagi onto the ledge and rocketed into the air after her remaining teammate. He attempted to use air palm to force himself back to safety, but his proficiency with the technique was inadequate with prolonged use. Akua was able to get to him regardless, shifting their bodies so that she used her legs to press him away to safety. The boy crashed uncomfortably into the earth near Usagi while Akua spun from the motion. During her fall over the chasm, 80 meters high, she whiplashed the kunai into her grasp once more and darted it a distance that would max out the length of the rope and a speed that would splice into the solid stone. This would give her the pull she needed to land on the ledge, but that wasn't the case.

The kunai had burst through the stone ground beyond the test participants, generating enough force to swing Akua down, but not where she wanted to be. She ended up falling short, with her torso bending over the edge of the chasm. She crawled at the stone but nature wanted her to fall. The last grip she had broke away into fragments of rock. But she didn't plummet. Her wrist was held, and she dangled over the in-sloped ledge. When Akua realized she hadn't been electrocuted, she looked up. It was Usagi. Akua had never been so glad to see the girl in her life. The overworked Uchiha girl coughed and laughed her exhaustion away as she too was finally resting on the edge of the chasm with her teammates.

 **A/N: That concludes it! Next chapter will be the beginning of one of the more interesting parts of the test, the survival exam! What will Kumogakure have in store for the young Uchiha and her team? Fav/Follow/Review, Thanks!**

 **P.S: I will be working on another drawing soon between the time span of the next two chapters, so be on the lookout for it.**


	7. Chunin Exams Part 2

**A/N: This is a little later than the time that I wanted to post it but, I've gotten it out. Enjoy part two of these new and exciting Chunin Exams.**

 **Also, I've made twitter account that you can use to find answers to your questions more quickly. You can find me -at- SynysterSketch. As for your question, Ice princess, I said a double chapter was possible in the future, not necessarily this release or the next. I will make it known in advance when there will be one.**

 **Ch. 7**

 **Chunin Exams Part 2**

Morning rays peeked through the openings of the long rectangular blinds, and the sun lined the room with a fence of thin light. It cut through the shadows on Akua's face and was enough to stir the girl from slumber. Her heavy eyelids winced before opening, nearly blinding herself with brightness. She covered her eyes with the back of her palm. Her body refused to emerge from beneath the sheets; her abdomen was bruised. Instead, she reflected on the events of the day before.

FLASHBACK

Akua's body was drained of air. She'd realized this when Usagi had pulled her up from the ledge. The impact had punched the wind from her stomach. Both of them lay on the ground next to each other, Usagi exhausted, Akua writhing in pain. But they were safe from elimination and successfully passed the first test. She managed to smile even though her lungs struggled to inflate. Eventually her chest expanded with oxygen again, drawing in large amounts of the vital gas. Sweat beaded down her forehead and her body felt a bit numb. The adrenaline that rushed through her blood was beginning to fade and her heart rate stabilized itself. The girl peered up into the clouds that seemed to pass only a few meters above her. The darkened silhouette of the main proctor's body blocked the sunlight from hitting Akua's face and his shadow loomed over her. His hands were held behind his back as he examined the young genin below him. "That was quite impressive of you, child. I certainly was not expecting it," commented the middle aged man of around 40 years. His physique was packed with muscle and complemented by his height, which was at least six feet. The minor wrinkles of wisdom were carved into his dark skinned complexion, and a Kumogakure forehead protector wrapped around his cranium, topped off by his dull blonde hair. Akua shifted her head to see him as he spoke. "From Konoha," he continued, noticing her headband, "they always have an outlier up their sleeve. You seem like an interesting young lady; what is your name, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Akua…" she muttered.

"No last name?"

The girl was silent.

"I see. Don't worry about it, you simply reminded me of someone is all. It's probably just my imagination." The man turned from her to the rest of the participants. Out of the 42 original genin on the bridge, only 25 of them remained. Therefore, only 25 teams made it through the first exam. Such was the extent and severity of the Chunin Exams, eliminating a little bit less than half the eligible teams. The survivors suffered similar conditions as Team 5, all bruised by the difficulty they had just experienced, enough to tatter even the veterans of the exam. All but the Amegakure team of course. There were two that entered and only one of them remained. It wasn't the one that Akua hoped to make it through either. "Attention! It's to my utmost pleasure that I declare you all have passed this first crucial exam! You will have exactly 48 hours to rest before the second exam. Directions will be given to each of your instructors later today! In two days time, you will all report to the Cloudburst Isles! That will be all!" He roared, voice echoing between the valleys. An explosion of smoke expelled from his body, leaving him nowhere to be seen several moments after. It was up to the genin to find their way back.

Although this task was not rigorous, it seemed that these exams were not going to cut the genin any slack. Akua curled up to her left side to see Yashiro bent over on his forearms and knees with his fists clenched. His forehead was buried into the dirt and tears streamed from his eyelids. The Hyūga bashed his balled hand into the ground in repetition. Akua couldn't deduce what was going through his head to force him into that state. The girl's fingers dragged marks into the ground when she forced her airless body from it. Her back collided into something, or perhaps, something ran into her. Black gloved arms wrapped around her waist and she could feel the warm and softness of someone else's cheek on her head. "A...ku...a…"

The Uchiha's heart crystallized as if a light, everwinter breeze swept through her chest. When she attempted to wrench herself free and move her arms, Akua felt the sting of cold steel through the fabric of her fitted hoodie. The female behind her hid the blade underneath her forearm, but held the tip against her body right above where the left kidney would be. She was paralyzed now, gulping down her fear and eyeing the knife ready to pierce her body. It was a ten to twelve inch knife adorned with a blade that split into three razor edges, spiraling around the center axis to come to a single puncturing point. The solid chrome finish glimmered in her trembling amethyst eyes. One wrist flick, and she'd be dead within minutes. Chilling sweat rolled down the side of her face and she tried to keep her breathing under control. "T-Tano…shimi…"

Tanoshimi's nose drew in Akua's scent. "…What perfume do you use, Akua? You always smell like fear and sweet roses. Are you afraid?"

Akua didn't respond. No one else seemed to notice her predicament either. The proctors were leaving, as well as the successful genin. Usagi was unconscious and Yashiro was in the dirt. It was just the two of them now. She didn't dare to yell for help either. That meant instant death. Therefore she concluded the best thing to do was to be as calm as possible.

Tanoshimi continued with the one-sided conversation, "I haven't seen you for a few months, how've you been." The sincerity of her voice was as deceptive as she could remember. "Ah, you weren't much of a talker were you now?"

Akua's lips were sealed.

"That's ok. You'll be speaking soon enough, I'm sure of it…" Akua felt the muscles tugging in Tanoshimi's cheek against her head as the girl smirked. "I just wanted to say hi is all."

Akua felt Tanoshimi's presence left her body, but when she immediately turned around, she was nowhere to be seen. Just the backs of the departing test takers and her teammates on the ground.

END FLASHBACK

* * *

The buzzing chakra of the Mystical Palm technique carried itself across Akua's abdomen, attempting to repair the damaged skin cells. The stinging feeling caused her to flinch every once in awhile. She was laid flat on her back with her chibi cow-head pajama shirt rolled up. Sakura's palms were hovering over as she knelt on both knees to her left side. "Sensei…you didn't need to do this," Akua asserted, turning her head the opposite way to hide her embarrassment.

"Oh please, I could hear you groaning all night and this morning. There's no need to fight it when I can help. Tough girls like you could use a hand sometimes too!"

Akua eventually gave in. The treatment was revitalizing, and she would need a speedy recovery if she was going to be of any use to her team come time for the second exam. When Sakura was finished, she led Akua into the living area of their hotel suite. The room was a mix of a traditional and modern setting with the walls painted a solid, mossy green. Wooden flooring squared in on a lower level of the floor near the main door where the dining table stood. To the right of the front door—from Akua's point of view—was Yashiro's room. The toilet and bathing area were along the right wall as well. Across that to the left was Sakura's bedroom. From the exit of Akua's doorway on the right corner, there was a television set to her immediate left and Usagi's on its other side. In front of the Uchiha was the sofa that sat between the television and and the dining area. Usagi surfed through Kumogakure's channels, unable to find something interesting. "Ugh…why aren't there any good look"—she diverted her attention to Akua who had finally emerged from bed—"oh, look who decided to join the land of the living."

"I'd never willingly decide to come and see you again," Akua joked.

Usagi stuck her tongue out and went back to searching. A giggle escaped from Sakura as the two interacted, and she made her way to her own room, pouncing in and out of the way of the TV.

"Is Yashiro still asleep?" Akua asked, worried for her friend.

"No clue."

"Should I go check on him?"

Usagi shrugged. Akua decided to go regardless. The way he was acting the other day bothered her. When she slide the door open to enter his room, she found no one. Spaced out grunts were the only things present, and the sounds appeared to be at some distance away. "Yashiro?" she called out. Numbers became barely audible, and they were chanted in fatigued increments. She searched now, drawing nearer to the sounds.

"Four…hundred..thirty…six!" Akua heard. "Four…hundred..thirty…seven! Four…h-hundred thirt-y eig…ght!"

Akua approached the far end of the room and slid the balcony door open. There the Hyūga was, arms locked in push-up position, intense strain written along his facial expression and a puddle of sweat underneath him. "Yashiro, what th—"

"Four hundred…thir-ty nine!" he interrupted, trying his best not to lose focus. The muscle of his triceps were swollen and throbbing, which caused his arms to shake uncontrollably. His fingers dug into the wooden flooring. The veins in his forehead were ready to burst from his skin. His complexion was the blood rushed crimson of concentration. _THUD_! Yashiro's weight became too much for himself to support and he crumbled. His cheek was printed into the hard floor and his hair was a mess, which was unlike him. Both of his elbows twitched from overexertion. You could see his back rising and falling because his chest was desperately trying to heave in oxygen and his clothing hugged his body, stained with large blotches of perspiration.

"Only four hundred thirty nine? I'm sure you can do more than that," Akua teased. It did nothing but elicit a groan of disagreement. The boy struggled to flip himself over to his back so that he could see his teammate.

"Y-you've got…to be kidding…me," he huffed out. Akua shook her head, leaned up against the frame of the door.

"How long have you been out here?"

"Since 4 am." It was about 7:30am now.

Akua chuckled, "Why so early?"

"Because…I need to train harder. I need to catch up if I'm going to be of any use."

"Catch up—"

"To you, Akua. I need to catch up to you."

She pouted at the way she was being idolized. It didn't seem normal.

"I…you really saved the both of us back there"—he was finally beginning to catch his breath— "and we were the ones who were giving you a hard time about being a newbie, heh."

"Yashiro, it wasn't just m—"

"Oh please, don't say that. You formulated the plan in two seconds, you're the one who executed it, and if I didn't screw up it would've been flawless, yet you still were able to get Usagi and I both to safety…"

"If it weren't for your air palm I wouldn't have been able to reach her, and Usagi saved me from falling off the edge, it was a team effort," she added.

"You may be right but…there's still no question that we could've been more useful. Even after we passed…that girl…"

"Y-you saw that?" Akua sparked an interest. Yashiro nodded his head in silence.

"I could see that weird knife she was holding out of the corner of my eye…I didn't know what to do so I just stay put…I didn't want to make a brash decision and have you lose your life in the process."

Akua sighed and dragged her left hand down her cheek.

"Who was that anyway? The girl from the registration roo—"

"Her name is Tanoshimi," she interrupted. Yashiro shifted his position, sitting up to listen with intent.

"I know her because she isn't from Amegakure, she's from Kusagakure, where I use to live. I'm honestly not sure why she's wearing an Amegakure forehead protector."

"Why is she targeting you specifically?"

"I really wish I could tell you, but I don't exactly know myself." That truth was stretched. Akua did in fact have an idea of what Tanoshimi was after, but that wasn't for her to reveal, mostly because she still wasn't sure of what it was. "All I know is that…she's extremely dangerous. I don't want to see her in this next exam."

"So the circumstances are this critical…" Yashiro pondered.

"She's…her entire team, they're fighting machines. They grew up in the same system I did, except for longer. They're all about your age."

"Don't worry," Yashiro reassured, "it doesn't matter, this time I'll be the one protecting you guys." He gave her a promising smile, and even though the odds were stacked against her team, she couldn't help but to believe in him.

Within the hour, Akua brushed her teeth, took a shower and changed her clothing from her pajamas to her regular clothing. At around 8am, she went to eat her breakfast. Sakura had made sunny-side up eggs that were crispy on the bottom, grilled sausages and sliced up baked potato. She made enough for everyone to have two servings each, but Akua ended up eating four. This was a norm that team 5 got use to, Akua's seemingly endless appetite. Such was the deal on every mission that they embarked on. She always had to have something to eat.

After breakfast, everyone went about their business. Today was the only full free day the team had before the survival examination which was tomorrow at 3pm. Each member of the team had to accept what they had to do and what could happen in only a couple hours and each member had their own way of trying to cope with it. Sakura was recalling her past memories. She had a small portable scrapbook that she kept in her ninja pouch when she was away from the village. Within it contained old pictures of team 7 when they were children, to pictures of them during the war, to pictures of her beloved daughter Sarada. She held these memories close as comfort and as protection from whatever peril may beset her. Therefore, from time to time she would sit and sift through each photo, spending a considerable amount of time examining in depth.

Usagi wasn't as deep as the rest. If she wasn't thinking about the opposite sex, she was tending to her naginata. She always kept the steel razor sharp and lethal, ready to complete any task and any time. This was done by mending the blade with a special solvent liquid that she applied with a damp cloth. When Usagi was in this mode, very little could enter her mind. The weapon was her most prized possession, an ancient tool passed down within the Shimura clan that was now within her grasp. She always sat with her legs crossed and held the handle of the staff along her knees. The blade hung off and pointed away from her body as she cleaned it.

Yashiro's stress reliever was physical activity, something common between all humans if they intended to cope with it. He seldom practiced with others, finding himself at peace when he trained alone. With the tightening, bulging veins around his eyes and cheek, the lavender white eyes of the Byakugan activated. He became aware of everything and everyone around him within a 30 kilometer radius, an awareness that calmed his senses. When active, he would exercise by practicing the Gentle Fist technique several hundred times over to perfection. Dual finger jabs followed by an extended burst of chakra characterized the Hyūga's special technique. Although there were more expansive techniques, such as the Air Palm, he was limited on space. Mastering the basics were more important however, for they would be the difference between life and death when it came down to it.

For Akua, complete meditation was how she coped with the fears of the upcoming test. She was able to empty her mind of all distractions to be at peace with herself. The girl sat within the absolute center of her front, with her legs criss-crossed and palms pressed together at her chest. The flow of her chakra and the rate of her breathing was all she focused on. The breathing calmed her physically while the kneading of her chakra allowed for her mind to be tuned with that. It was a manipulation of chakra's components to produce optimal performance when the time came. However, she was able to feel a foreign, unpleasant disturbance within the pathway of her chakra. It felt like a cold void siphoning her essence away whenever she tried to send the warmth of chakra to that area. The area to the right side of her neck and shoulder. Akua disrupted her mind with memories to recall anything that might have happened. But there was nothing. There were no abnormalities in her character, no marks or damage to her body around that area, yet at times it felt like that right shoulder didn't exist as herself. She was fed up with this recurring feeling. Something had to be done. Akua focused a great portion of her chakra on that point, feeding in and flooding it with her presence. For a moment, it felt like that emptiness was eradicated. But then her body stiffened. She felt attacked, gnawed at viciously from her right side and her inner consciousness was battling within. Something was trying to devour her completely. Her chakra sparked, the atmosphere in the room became turbulent in an attempt to combat this growing enigma. The sheets of her bed, the contents of her bag, and clothing went whipped and dragged across the room. The girl's breathing was no longer paced, it was in erratic short bursts. The sudden phenomena was forcing the activation of her sharingan again, this time in both eyes. They were unable to be silenced. Her hands were still clasped together and her body trembled. She felt herself drifting away within, further away from the light of her eyes and into the darkness. _RING_. _RING_. _RING_. The contents of her room fell from the air, scattered in a disorderly fashion. _RING_. _RING_. _RING_. Her consciousness started to pull back, and the deep meditation lingered in was broken. The presence that attempted to feast on her lifted, and she dropped her hands against the floor. She looked around for the source of the sound, getting closer to the ringing vibrations. It was the constant buzzing of her cell-phone.

Akua looked around, listening for the movements of her team. There were no audible sounds that pertained to her. It seemed that there wasn't much of a stirring disturbance in the suite. The girl turned to her ringing phone again. It was Boruto calling. Akua felt her chest, massaged her neck and took a deep breath before answering. "Hell—"

"Ku-chan!" He screamed in her ear. His enthusiasm was soothing to her now, anything would be after that pleasant episode.

"Hm, I see you can't live without me there bothering you."

"What are ya, crazy?" He defended, "There's no way that's true!"

"This pendant around my neck begs to differ, Boruto~" her voice went up in a playful pitch but still dragged.

"Pffffft, I was just being a nice person ya know! I didn't have to give that to you!"

"Whatever you say, idiot!" She blurted before the tone of her voice changed again to one that was relaxed, "happy Rinne Festival, Boruto."

"Oh, so you read my mind, eh? Didn't think you would remember the day."

Akua replied in an instant, "Of course I would."

"Oh yea?" he roared.

"Mhm." The contrast between the voices of both individuals was common now. This was how a majority of their conversations occurred. Akua always seemed to be calm and collected. Her voice never rose over a certain pitch, and when speaking to Boruto or teasing him, it had a melodic tone. Boruto on the other hand was constantly flustered when speaking to Akua. His voice erupted in a minor shout, teased at by her prodding. But for him, today seemed odd.

"Ku-chan, are you alright? You sound…exhausted."

"Uh wh-well. No, I'm fine," she lied.

"Are you sure? Did that test mess you up? Are you a chunin yet?"

"No…there's another portion of the test. It's tomorrow actually, a survival exam."

"Survival exam? What does that mean for you?"

She sighed, "It means we'll have to go up against other teams, probably to fight for something. I don't think there'll be any rules, so…"

"Then do you think people are going to—"

"Yes," she cut in, "it's possible…"

There was an extended period of silence after Akua's interruption.

"You're not going to…kill anyone are you?" he asked. Such a concept was still foreign to him. He was still only nine years old, soon to be ten. The boy didn't understand what it meant to take someone else's life or how he would view a person who had.

Akua gulped down, "N-no, I don't think I could bring myself to."

"Y-you don't need that on your chest, alright? Promise me." He lifted the awkward atmosphere from the conversation.

"I promise."

"Ah, there it is, there's your voice! Now, don't go breaking that other promise ya know!"

"Yes, Boruto," she giggled.

* * *

Thursday rolled around the corner within the blink of an eye after their conversation. Akua walked in between Usagi and Yashiro, amongst a group of 24 other genin teams. They followed a stair pathway with peaks and bases that sloped along with the mountain valley's jagged rock formations. Thin cirrus clouds approached, passing over the peaks and leaving pieces of their misty bodies behind when drifting away. The genin ascended to the last peak of the stair case. They were at least 6 km in the air now and descended a short flight compared their height. There was a wide clearing waiting at the bottom for them with a gray sigil stone towards the very edge. There were no stairs beyond it, just the eminent death that awaited anyone who decided to tumble.

The same dark skinned test proctor from before was waiting for the group in his Kumogakure uniform with his hands held together behind his back. When the last genin's sandal planted along the platform, a gust of wind tore through the mountain range, billowing clothing to the left. The man tilted his head up and began to speak. "Welcome all of you," he greeted his voice rather relaxed, "today is the day of the second exam, Survival in the Cloudburst Isles."

Not a sound was emitted by the genin.

"I'm sure you're all aware that this day might be your last day on this earth."

Faces were blank. Each of them knew the circumstances it seemed.

"Today's test will be a throwback. When your team enters this sigil behind me, you will be handed either a heaven or earth scroll. Your objective is to obtain one of each scroll, but do not open either of them. Once collected, you must make your way to the center of the isles to the Thunder Gate Tower. Only then may you read their contents. The only way you will be able to enter the tower is if you have both scrolls. Arrival will indicate completion of the exam. There will be no rules during this test, only the mission at hand. Therefore…"—there was a pause. Many of the foreign genin were confused as to where they would be taking this exam. There was nothing beyond the sigil other than the end of the mountain range. It only took one of them to realize and tilt their head upwards. The domino effect occurred shortly after. Wide cirrus clouds that obscured vision drew pass the atmosphere to reveal a series of enormous, floating islands within the December sky. Akua's jaw was left unhinged. Nothing of the sorts had ever blessed her glossy violet eyes in such a manner. All the foreign genin were experiencing similar feelings. Its scale was magnificent, and at least an extra kilometer above them. From their distance, all they could see were the mountain peaks, the undersides of a fraction of the main islands, and the small earthen shards that hung to their sides. The proctor finished, "…you must complete the mission by any means necessary."

And with that, the preparation for the second exam began. Genin teams began to step onto the sigil and were zapped from view. The mechanisms within the sigil stepping stones were embedded with a space-time ninjutsu which teleported each of the 25 teams to a different starting position along the perimeter of the Cloudburst Isles. Towards the end of the group was Team 5, still in the same order that they were in with Akua at center. All three stepped onto the metallic gray sigil, and their weight sunk the stepping stone. Fluorescent blue light illuminated around it's edges and followed a rectangular shape that closed around where their feet were placed. Akua saw the land, clouds, and mountain slopes before her distort vertically and her body's molecular structure jarred. She was steadily losing mass, exemplified by how the sigil started to replace itself. Then, within an instant, Team 5 vanished.

* * *

Yashiro, Akua and Usagi arrived upon a small earthern platform of about ten meters in length and width. It looked as if it had been torn away from the ground entirely. There was a steel pillar before them, and behind it, a lighter skinned proctor. For a moment, the man's styled blonde hair frightened Akua because she thought it was _that_ boy. There was a circular opening within the center of the pillar, a module of sorts. They witnessed a hand-sized white scroll with the kanji 天, for heaven, wrapped across it. "This will be your scroll," the man announced, "take it and protect it with your lives." Team 5 glanced at each other anxiously, not sure which one of them was going to hold on to the scroll. Nevertheless, Yashiro, with his new resolve, decided to step forward. He grasped the scroll and placed it within his back pouch. "Very well. The official start time of the test will be in approximately five minutes."

The Konoha team didn't say a word to each other after the proctor stepped out of the way for the countdown. They realized there was a barrier ninjutsu surrounding their tiny floating island when the time appeared before them. Every second was an eternity. Their throats flexed and gulped down several times, never taking their eyes away from the counter. Within the last minute, Akua diverted her vision and focused on their surroundings. Through the clear barrier, the girl examined the terrain. In front of them were floating stepping stones, leading to what appeared to be a large, diamond-carved rock. A pearly chakra lodestone was lodged inside. The lodestone system was the mechanism that kept this island afloat. One could only imagine the amount of chakra it took to support something of this magnitude. Beyond the stone was one of the main island. It was close to the group, so they weren't able to see around it. The ominous sky forestry cascaded over the land and pasty shadows obscured the path inward. Most of the terrain was mountainous, however, defined by various rock formations rather than deep plant life. This was only one of five peripheral islands, while their target island after collecting both scrolls sat at the center. Stepping stones, floating land fragments and checkpoint lodestones filled in the massive spaces in between. Furthermore, Akua noticed that the fragments and island were in a slow, horizontal orbit, most likely around Thunder Gate Tower. Maneuvering this terrain would prove to be a challenged. She never would have expected anything like it. But her thought were now cut off.

0:00

Team five launched into battle. Playtime was over.

The rapid steps of 75 genin all stormed off at the same time toward the Isles. Team five leaped across stepping stones trying to stay balanced, but it was difficult at such an altitude. Akua landed with her weight on the edge of one of the flat stones and ended up tilting the entire mass. The girl was thrown from the rock into the long fall 7 km down. But she didn't see the island escape her. In fact, she was floating in the orbit with the rock shards. Akua reconfigured herself and discharged chakra from her feet, swimming up into Yashiro's grasp. "You stupid little shit," Usagi scolded, "I thought you were dead!"

"…So did I," she believed. Yashiro pulled her up from the edge and onto another stone.

"Im sure you all figured it out already didn't you?" Yashiro questioned.

Usagi pieced together her own observations, "You mean…"

The Hyūga nodded, "Precisely. These lodestones have some sort of gravitational field barrier around this entire airborne land mass. It might have been difficult for you but, I saw it with my Byakugan."

Akua was astounded, and it brought a smile to her face that he was able to analyze such a detail in a short amount of time.

"Goddamn Yashiro, really stepping up now aren't ya?" Usagi lauded, slapping his back. The boy jolted from her pounding strikes, sifting off balance.

"W-well," he stammered, repositioning himself, "it's what I have to do to protect my comrades."

Akua, on the floor of the platform, gazed into Yashiro's stunning white eyes. Within them she found the strength he had obtained and drew from it as she rose to her feet, "You're right Yashiro, sorry for being a clutz. I want to protect my comrades too." Akua held her fist out to him. Like she was at first, the boy was clueless as to what she was attempting to do. The girl shook her arm several times before he finally figured out, but Usagi had already leapt over toward them. Her fist connected to the the inside of Akua's left hand. Yashiro followed suit, bumping his into Akua's knuckles. All three of their gestures were now joined, and they shared a quick smile before disappearing into the main island.

It didn't take long for the exam to descend into utter chaos. Without hesitation, the genin commenced their uphill battle to become chunin. Yet, the amount of obstacles that were before them were unprecedented. The foreigners, with the least knowledge of the Cloudburst, were at the greatest disadvantage. They hadn't anticipated what would lurk in the dark. Multiple squads were assaulted by creatures that inhabited the Isles. Ravenous mountain cats such as cougars and overgrown tigers pounced from the shadows and tore flesh apart like tender meat. Their jaws had a clenching force equivalent to that of an industrial pressing machine, able to shred a solid block of iron into thin ribbons with one bite. Bodies caught in between them painted the boulders and trees a beautiful garnet hue. Claws scraped up dirt from the ground as they attacked and were sharp enough to pierce skin and bone like slabs of butter. Most genin were simply powerless when caught underneath their massive 400 kg bodies. The weight of their paws alone was enough to crush the sternum of a human being. Roars splintered tree bark and generated gusts of wind powerful enough to lift shinobi from their feet. The contact of saliva on human skin fell on the acidic side of the spectrum as well. The only way to combat them was to outmaneuver their large bodies and aim for soft spots in their flesh. However, it was too late by the time one would realize this. The cats had a level of intelligence where they were aware of their weaknesses and thus, struck at surprise instead of charging in. It made them all the more lethal. Overall, being caught was an unfortunate, inevitable, and gruesome demise. Genin that passed over scenes of massacre in search of scrolls saw only blood and broken bones. But the large predatory cats weren't the only perils of the Isles.

Deep caves and crevices in the ground burrowed underneath the surface of the island. There was an entire system of subterranean pathways that were carved out by unnatural means, inhabited by giant badgers. They didn't move as fast or were as dangerous as the felines, but the swipe of their tail or arm was brutal and bone shattering. Their existence discouraged anyone from going too deep in the caves, which left most genin on the surface. Besides the cats, several other creatures lurked. The area of each island was large enough for thick, gargantuan trees that could support the weight of massive reptiles, such as venomous vipers. If one wasn't cunning or fast enough, they would be swallowed whole in an instant and bathed in digestive acid. Some genin would make too much noise in the woods while travelling, leaving behind trails and emitting sounds that attracted other beasts. Black bears, five times the size of the average bear, charged at travellers. They swung their meaty arms and cleaved down the branches that the shinobi used to maneuver themselves. Their maw was large enough to rip massive portions from the trunks of oaks, causing them to timber and take any tree or person in their way. Furthermore, these animals were able to use their fur as a weapon, firing a flurry of razor-sharp, needle-like projectiles into anyone who drew near.

These were the main dangers of the land, yet the Cloudburst Isles still possessed a collection of wildlife that was not entirely bent on the devouring of human beings. Deer roamed the surface, located mostly in the forest regions, and harmless bird species inhabited the canopies. They grazed on small plant life and drank from streams that cut through the island. Most of the larger, flowing bodies of water ran over the edge of the floating land but was collected and cycled around. Understanding the Isles posed, perhaps, these young shinobi's greatest challenge.

Animals were not the only problems that the genin faced. If they were to survive the three hectic days, they were going to need to gather essentials such as food and shelter. This was set in motion immediately by the more seasoned individuals who'd dealt with Cloudburst. They were aware of its conditions and drastic weather patterns. As soon as the test commenced, the participants learned why this set of levitating land masses were named the way they were. Despite being above cloud level for the most part, cumulonimbus rolled in to blacken the afternoon sky. With them came the deafening sound of thunder as it scraped the atmosphere. Flashes of light dotted the thick gray accumulations. All the genin that noticed this were fully aware of what was to follow.

* * *

Akua could hear the heart-wrenching shrieks of genin and the disgusting roars of the creatures that caused their agony. But she remained focused on her mission regardless. It was their fault that their situation played out the way it did and she couldn't worry about it. Within the trees, the Uchiha travelled close to her to team, travelling on the right of their tri-formation to keep watch of the 12 through 4 o'clock positions. Usagi travelled on the left to survey any threats incoming from the 12 through 8 o'clock positions. Yashiro travelled in the back. With his Byakugan, he was able to see the 8 through 4 o'clock positions effectively while also being able to visualize anything in front of him. It was ideal because he didn't have to slow the speed of their group. His second objective was to locate teams that possessed an earth scroll. About a third of his focus was spent on this, while the other portion was spent on surveying. He valued the survival of his teammates rather than completing the mission. The Hyūga also concluded chasing after anyone would do them no good. He believed that in this early stage, it would be best to let the enemy come to them. That way they would avoid the perils of travelling throughout the Isles, at least, for now.

Usagi was growing impatient. The Shimura girl pressed the gas pedal and accelerated out of the unity of their formation. "Wait!" Yashiro shouted, "let's stop for a sec."

"Why do we need to stop," she mouthed off, "I want to complete this thing as soon as possible!"

"We can't rush this Usagi! Do you realize where we are right now?" he reasoned. The trio landed upon a branch large enough so that they could all stand facing each other with enough space. The two females realized that their chests, even after only a few minutes of tree travel, were beginning to expand beyond what was considered normal. Their breaths were becoming heavier and harder. "Don't you feel it?"

Akua nodded towards the boy after examining herself and the way her body was functioning, "Yea I get it," she started, "We're at such a high altitude, the oxygen content in the air is decreasing. It's less than what we were use to back in Kumogakure. If we overexert ourselves too much we'll start hounding for oxygen that isn't there. We have to pace ourselves."

Yashiro's glanced switched from Akua and went back to Usagi. She was piecing together the information in her head. "Is that why you said we should let the others come to us?"

"Exactly, if they come here we'll most likely be able to outmaneuver them because we'll have more energy to spend," he theorized. "Now, everyone check your weapons and equipment. Make sure you have everything set."

And they did as they were told. Usagi made sure that the strap of her naginata was in place across her torso. She also reached into her pouch to check for her shuriken and other materials such as rope, small scrolls, and food supplement pills. Yashiro didn't carry an extra weapon. All he used were his kunai knives and shuriken, most of which were kept in his back pouch. He reached behind himself to feel for the scroll that was stored within, making sure that he still had it. Akua resheathed her ninjato that she wore behind her and straight across her lower back. The scabbard rested above her two back pouches and was strapped around her waist. She reached back to feel for the contents of her pouches as well. Shuriken, tags, and flash bombs were housed within each of them. Kunai rested in the holster on her right leg. The girl pulled on a new pair of glistening onyx gloves, this time closed at the fingers and tight to the skin. The headband around her forehead was readjusted a bit to her comfort. Thus, Team 5 was ready to mobilize once more.

The sun was now blocked out, and it appeared that the night had fallen. In truth, it was just the lingering storm cloud, heavy with destruction that was just waiting to pour down on the heads of the genin. Akua felt a single drop of water against her cheek as she sped just underneath the canopy of the tall wooden structures she used as a foothold. The calm before the storm was ending. Team five was travelling northwest through the main island that they were located upon and heard the sounds of various clashes of metal. "Let's go check it out," Usagi suggested, increasing speed towards the commotion.

"Usagi!" Yashiro shouted, trying to catch up.

"Relax! We don't have to join in, we can use the trees as camouflage!"

"Ugh," he groaned, not wanted to submit to her demands but ended up doing so anyway. Akua simply followed behind the two as they charged on ahead. What they would see would sum up the last of the perils within the Cloudburst Isles, the other genin.

The three arrived in the view of a clearing as they were perched up against against a high branch, but the clearing was simply a collection of stepping stones, lodestones and rock shards. At least three teams of genin were combatting each other, fighting for scrolls, two of which were foreign to Kumogakure. The battle was in between two of the main islands, and it appeared that the teams had intersected each other. Yashiro paid close attention to the limited surroundings of the combatants as shuriken and kunai clashed, sending shearing sparks back into each other's faces. Everything occurred as he expected. Anyone that fell from the platform of stepping stone only descended a few meters before the lodestone captured them. Upon a closer examination, he realized that it was in fact not gravitation, but magnetism. The individual would have to discharge chakra for the lodestone to magnetize and reel them in. Fortunately, most people naturally give off chakra when in distress unconsciously, so barely anyone fell to their deaths. Some shinobi were unfortunate, though. They were stricken with ninja tools and or some sort of ninjutsu before they were able to defend themselves. Usagi was watching with an extreme interest, it was like a television show to her. Akua watched in disappointment. The senseless battle reminded her of her past in Kusagakure with the Genesis Program. These people were trying to slaughter each other over scrolls. She turned around in disgust, not wanting to witness any of the conflict and kept watch of their six.

Yashiro watched as a fire release technique was narrowly dodged by a now slightly singed genin, slamming into a loadstone instead and vanishing from view with only trace flame shrapnel blanketing off to the sides afterwards. "Did you see that, guys?" He whispered, unaware that the only one paying attention other than him was Usagi.

"Yea, it just ate up that fireball…what the hell."

"I think those things are chakra sensitive," he guessed. His speculation was clarified when the Kumogakure shinobi, even though outnumbered, began to take the upper hand. They lured the foreign shinobi nearer towards the lodestones, and once close, used a lightning release jutsu against them. Yashiro's now tightened Byakugan wider at what proceeded. The chakra bolted past the genin but connected against the lodestone. Instead of absorbing the chakra like Yashiro had expected, the device amplified it. The foreign genin couldn't move away fast enough, enveloped in a flashing array of stinging electrical power. Such was the fate of the rest of that squad as the Kumo ninja used the lodestones to their advantage. "This is…bad, we can't get caught up here, we'll be defeated for sure."

"Let's just keep watching for a little more," Usagi insisted, "they haven't found us out yet."

"We need to go," Akua finally spoke up. It caught her two teammates off guard. Yashiro didn't question her words. He would have agreed anyway, but the stern look in those amethyst eyes were all the more convincing. Usagi just rolled her eyes, the first to fire off in the direction they came.

The tempestuous storm began to rage at full force only a few minutes later. Now the environment was against them. Vicious rain droplets bulleted into the uncovered skin of Team 5, leaving rip marks along it. It fell with such a force that they could feel the otherworldly gales crushing their clothing into their bodies. Tree-unrooting gusts of wind howled through the forest, peeling away at their faces. The trees that they thought were solid and sturdy were dancing, losing limbs and leaves to the hurricane. It was difficult to find footing as the branches broke away into the currents and they had to keep their eyes squinted, or else the relentless weather conditions would surely blind them. Chakra control was the only thing keeping them alive at this point. The blue sky above the trees didn't exist, just a murky black. It wasn't safe to travel at this time, but Yashiro figured no one else would be on the move. This would be an ideal chance to calmly but surely catch an enemy off guard. He scanned the surrounding area in search of genin but found none. Akua watched Usagi travelling at point and scanned about a minute ahead in distance. There were vehement flashes of light in the sky that startled her. But something didn't seem right. She had a bad feeling before, the reason as to why she wanted to leave the clearing, yet everything seemed too perfect for too long.

Akua's feet landed against a drenched branch and everything at that moment seemed to slow down for her. Her knees bent, absorbing the force of her landing in a split second of real time, yet it felt like five full ones. Her eyes focused on the area before Usagi in that rift, and her body commenced a launch forward to the next branch, accelerating in violent haste. Akua was no longer moving freely, it was pure instinct. When her feet planted against the next branch, her arm reached forward. Two seconds had passed since before she perched on the first branch. Blue lines laced through the rain before the two females. Usagi's body, a half second later, was being pulled back from moving forward. Akua's left hand was clenched in the collar of her coat and tugged at her. Yashiro, after the third second, finally sensed something. Time seemed to return to normal for Akua as the area before her and Usagi became brilliant. "USAGI!" Yashiro boomed, reaching out towards his squadmate as if it was too late. Before the fourth second, a cleaving bolt of the heavens trailed the crackled, blue lines, cutting the atmosphere and striking through branches cleanly. The area in front of him was vaporized before he could finish his call. The lightning emitted a wave of electricity that tingled those in the vicinity. Just when he thought something terrible had occurred, he was actually colliding into Usagi's body that had been pulled. Akua leaned back as she swung her left arm around, the bright light beaming against her skin. Then there was darkness again.

Usagi and Yashiro fell through 6 meters of leafy tree shrubs before landing on a thick branch. The girl's fall was broken by the Hyūga's body. Usagi was clueless, she still thought she was moving forward when she landed. Then she came to her senses, rising from the surface of the branch and trying to collect what little oxygen was in the air. "…What the fuck just happened!" she shouted, looking up towards Akua. Her heart dropped. The forest, starting from about half a meter in front of Akua to at least 15 meters beyond that, ceased to exist. There was a static charged crater in the ground below them. "Akua!" Usagi screamed again.

"Shut up for a second and pay attention!" the Uchiha shot back.

Yashiro jumped to his feet and darted upwards to the same level of the canopy as Akua. His Byakugan was in a fierce search of the area when it noticed Akua reaching for her ninjato. "She just saved your life, I didn't realize it until afterwards, but you're alive now because of her. That lightning bolt would have killed you!" Yashiro returned with a similar voice. They had to shout in order to hear each other over the wind.

"That was no natural lightning strike! It was too powerful! Someone—"

Her voice was cut off. She had to focus on parrying the blind side strike to her right after all. Within an instant, the steel of her ninjato sparked against the falling cleaver blade of a Kumogakure genin. It was as if he just appeared out of thin air, because Yashiro's Byakugan failed to detect his presence. Amethyst glared into the mask of the individual before them. The intensity of Akua's gaze was enough to frighten the one who attacked her, only for a brief period.. The two were sent falling to a lower branch because of the Kumo genin's momentum. They clashed four more times before forcing each other back. Akua noticed her other teammates her now getting attack. The sound of steel was all around now. Below her, Usagi crossed blades with another female while above, Yashiro was evading the slashes of what looked to be a male. The one before her had the physique of a male as well. She couldn't see his face, it was obscured by a solid, goggled breathing mask. Each of the enemy genin possessed one. It seemed they came prepared. The boy before Akua stood still but ready to strike again at any moment.

"I didn't expect for you to evade that jutsu. Your reaction speed is out of this world, I'm a little scared," the ninja lied, his voice screeching through the mechanism of his mask.

"I don't want to hurt you…" Akua warned.

"Ha! You think that twig stands a chance against my cleaver?" he boasted, charging in and bashing his sword against Akua's. The girl was full of surprises, able to halt the force of his motion completely this time. Akua placed her free hand at the end of her ninjato and pushed the boy back, following up with several swift strikes of her own that he barely managed to block. Her proficiency with the weapon was miscalculated by the Kumo ninja and he fell back momentarily. The Uchiha was getting winded. Battling in the storm didn't make it easy to fight this person. It was already difficult to see, much less move in the destructive winds. Her ninjato was held before her regardless, ready for the next attack.

Usagi and Yashiro had their hands full. The Shimura was busy with the female of the Kumo squad. Her tanto was laced with rain empowered lightning chakra, which gave it a wider cutting range. The blade, however, was combatted by the wind release tendencies of her naginata. Usagi's blade was amplified by the terrible gusts that raged around them and she was able to easily defend against her attacker. The girl then switched to an offensive, vanishing and shift with the wind around the Kumo kunoichi. Her naginata slashes came from all directions now, only to be evaded by the swift moments of the masked girl. The Kumo female held a hand sign that discharged an armor of lightning around her form, timing its release so that the wind would carry the lightning into Usagi's near weightless body. The strategy struck the girl from the air and sent her sliding across the branch they battled upon. When the kunoichi launched in for a killing blow she was halted by a voice.

"WAIT."

It was Yashiro. Everyone had stopped in their tracks, Akua grinding teeth and staring down her opponent while Usagi was downed by her own. The intelligent Hyūga didn't let his own guard down, but still relaxed before his attacker. "I can see…your scroll…with my Byakugan," he announced, speaking to his opponent. "I know who has it, the female down there, it's in her pouch."

"So what?" growled the genin. They all seemed confused at Yashiro's words until he clarified them.

"This fighting, it's useless…we have the same scroll. You have heaven don't you?"

The enemy squad was silent, exchanging looks between each other. "Show us," demanded the one facing Yashiro. Thus, he gently reached for his his pouch, unclipped the flap and withdrew Team 5's heaven scroll. The genin grunted at the sight of it. Now he was left to decide what his squad were to do. Still braced in a combative form, he examined his other teammates below him. The other male was struggling against Akua, clear signs of blood were dripping from his body even in the rain. As for his female friend, the tip of Usagi's naginata was ready to split her throat open. The length of the Shimura's weapon kept the kunoichi at bay. The fighting was indeed pointless, therefore, he decided to protect his friends and pull back while he could.

"Fine, you'll survive this day, but I can't promise that you won't suffer," the genin threatened, collecting his comrades and vanishing.

* * *

It had been a few hours since that frightful encounter. Team 5 had just weaseled their way out of an obvious bind with an obvious solution. Had it not been for the Byakugan, more unnecessary blood would have been shed.

Nimbus clouds that blanketed the island began to part, and the harsh conditions subsided. The landscape was vividly damaged by the stormcell, displacing many of its natural aspects. Trees were felled, dirt was scattered as mud, leaves dotted along the ground, and the fragmented light of the crescent moon illuminated the carnage.

Team five was at rest now. They set up camp at the opening of a cave with their fire out of sight to any enemy genin. It's warmth was the only comfort these Konoha ninja could find at the moment in their tattered, soaked clothing. It was only Yashiro and Usagi that sat around the campfire, though. Akua was sound asleep a little bit further into the cave where the orange light was just able to shine upon her back. The ninjato was unstrapped and laid behind her. Yashiro caught a glimpse of the girl after a crackle of the burning wood. Her body was half curled, facing away from the gaze of the Hyūga and her hoodie wasn't adorned. She'd taken it off for it to dry. Underneath was a fitted, black tank top that clung to her torso. Yashiro watched as the side of her body contracted as she exhaled and expanded during her inhale until his ogling was interrupted.

"So," Usagi spoke up, igniting conversation, "what's the deal all of a sudden?"

"What do you mean?" he replied.

"I've never seen you like this before, not even when our old partner was around"—she hugged her knees at the campfire and wore a small grin—"now you're taking charge, trying to be all heroic. Don't think I don't notice."

"N-notice what!" he questioned the flustered boy.

"You say you're doing this to protect us but…I know your real motive. Men are easy to read, know them like the back of my hand."

"Oh please."

"It's for her, isn't it?" she guessed, tilting her head in Akua's direction.

"…N-no…"

"Don't lie to me Yashiro," her eyes narrowed behind the messy strands of wet auburn hair that hung in her face.

The boy sighed, "If you tell her…"

"I won't, I promise, but after this is all over, you need to do it yourself," she giggled, "or else I will."

"Ugh, fine…" he reluctantly agreed. His gaze shifted from Usagi, to the fire, then outside of the cave. They'd only gotten through a quarter of the first day and there was a lot more waiting ahead of them.

Team 5 took turns, having one member keep watch at certain hours throughout the night while the others slept, then rotated responsibilities. When morning struck they immediately packed their belongings and readied themselves to be on the move again. They needed to get an edge in these exams if they were going to pass. Everything was checked before they launched off into the trees. Although they'd been attacked there before, it was still safer than being on the ground with the wildlife, or so they thought.

Akua was taking a sip from the canteen that she carried as she followed behind her friends along the branches. A chilling sensation crept along her skin and washed over her body, which she thought was a result of the fresh water. The girl soon came to realize, much to her dismay, the depth of her situation when the sound of molding crystals met her ears. Within a blink, she found the left half of her body pinned against the trunk of a tree by a jagged trail of solid ice. "N-no…" the girl pleaded. Usagi and Yashiro landed before her immediately, trying to figure out the source of the frozen mass and the expression of horrid disbelief that Akua possessed.

"Akua! What the! What is this!" Yashiro yelled, trying to pull her free by her right arm, but it just hung limp.

"Run," she demanded.

Usagi countered, "What? Hell no, you dumb bitch, we're g—"

"You should listen to your friend," interrupted a disembodied voice.

"I said run! Get out of here, now!" Akua screamed in her comrades' faces, but they refused to leave her side.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that now," hummed the voice. The remaining members of Team 5 concluded that it was male. They turned to face the direction that the sound was coming from. From beyond the forestry, an individual stepped out, perched upward on a further elevated branch. A glimmering gold coin flipped into the air and landed in his grasp while he tucked his sun-blonde hair behind his left ear, the Amegakure forehead protector now visible. "You've simply struck out of luck." The negativity of his tone was matched only by the crazed smirk that spread to each ear.

 **A/N: And that concludes this chapter. The intensity will only continue to escalate from here! Are you anxious for what's next?**

 **Thank you for the read, fav/follow/review! I enjoy feedback!**

 **P.S. The drawing will be complete at some point within the release of this chapter and the next! Keep a look out for it on my deviantart!**


	8. Chunin Exams Part 3

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm glad to bring you the third addition to these dreadful exams. I will give you a fair warning in advance that these next few chapters, especially nine, will be violent in nature. I will be adding specific warnings of where the violence begins in the next chapter so that you can skip over the scene at your leisure. They won't be extremely gruesome but I wanted to make sure you were all prepared for what might come next. As for this chapter, it isn't that violent in my opinion, just a hard battle. Anyway, enjoy the new material!**

 **Ch 8**

 **Chunin Exams Part 3**

Sparkles of misty frost danced around the timber of enormous oaks, branches flourished and tangled amongst each other. These trunk extensions dwarfed a human with its sheer size. The length of one branch was wide enough for two people to stand four feet apart, side by side, without fear of falling due to the rigid curve of its body. But there were three individuals upon a particular branch, the soles of their sandals against its mossy bark. It was Usagi, who had her arm in position ready to draw her naginata, Yashiro, who stood to her right and behind with a wide base and fists clenched, and then there was Akua as well, half of her body frozen solid by a clump of crystal ice. Already about 80 meters above the island ground, each focused even higher towards a different collection of branches. Fragments of early morning sun beamed against a cluster of the frozen manifestation of Hyoton around the male in sight who stood above them, refracting it in several directions. The jagged block at his feet birthed cold spikes, crackling and piecing themselves together like grinding crystals. At least a dozen of them from the view of Team 5 extended to obscure part of the lower body of the Amegakure imposter. The ice was transparent in slight, however. They were able to make out the tan cargo pants that hugged his legs, belted around the waist tucked into his black calf-high shinobi sandals. A sleeveless white vest was zipped up to the middle of his check with a collar surrounding his neck. His arms were chiseled with a moderate muscles tone and the skin marked by deep scars. Upon a closer look, he wore white bandages around his wrist and had a short sheath hooked to his belt and hung down the side of his left thigh. A light, damp wind with icy particles carried through the area, fluttering the medium length blonde hair while he flipped the golden coin. The specie rotated about its sides, as if in slow motion to his onlookers, and above his head before returning. The shine of the gold vanished between his clenching fingers when he held up his free left hand in a blur of seals.

Jutsu activation sounded and ice fired off into rapid projectile shards ready to mince anything in their path. A frozen rain pelted down towards Team 5, two-foot long blades bulleting across tree trunks and branches. The shards were in the sight of Yashiro who hesitated to react, however there was one other who didn't. Usagi quickly drew her naginata from her back, wielded it in both hands and held it towards the impending polar death. The broad pole began to twirl between all ten fingers and the weapon gyrated in a propeller-like fashion. The shards initiated contact against the makeshift shield, hitting a point on the naginata no matter where it was upon its radius. The rotation occurred at such a speed that it caused a spiraling display of wind around its edges, slicing away at the half of the branch in front of her along with the rest of the tree top above them. The trunk sloped down at an angle, chopped into several hundred, thin wooden plates before the canopy fell through and shredded into a shower of leaves. It was a result of Usagi's extended cutting radius as the ice withered down. Shattering glass sprayed around the sides and fell gently through the rotation as a mist of shining, harmless flakes that stung your skin with a frosty sensation. "Wind Release: Heaven's Windmill Naginata. Come and try me," Usagi declared. She decelerated the rotation of the naginata and whipped the weapon to her right, sending a slash of wind down that cleaved through several trees, dismounting them from their stumps. The sharp splintering of timber ringed until six separate crashing thuds were heard. Small animals screeched and chirping birds were displaced into the sky. Leaves rustled against the ground when the trees hit and the vacant gap in the canopy behind the girl released sunlight into the forest. "I thought you were cute but now I've changed my mind. At least give me your name before I kill you."

The boy chuckled as the gentle fragments rained, "You amuse me"—the coin fell into his grasp—"Yoshimura is my name."

He noticed Akua's teeth clench at the hearing.

"Yoshimura…" Usagi repeated, "I'll make sure to—"

"No! Shit! Shit!" Akua swore as she ripped a kunai from her holster and stabbed viciously at the ice that encased her body. "Shit! Usagi, Yashiro, just get away!"

"Shut up Akua," Usagi retaliated, "you're in a block of ice right now and you can't do anything so focus on getting yourself out!"

"You don't understand! This guy is—"

"I don't care who the fuck he is, I'm gonna—"

"No," Yashiro said, stepping forward with his left hand on her right shoulder, "I'll be his opponent."

"What?" Usagi refused, "No way, you've done enough already, this guy is mine!" She pointed the blade towards Yoshimura. He leaned against the trunk of the tree whose branch he perched upon, tossing his coin.

"You need to help Akua get out of that ice as soon as possible, I don't have the means to. Therefore I'll be the one to occupy him."

Usagi struggled with his decision at first but eventually gave in. This was his way of showing that he was serious about this test, about their team and about Akua herself. The naginata reluctantly fell to her. "Fine," she complied, "just hurry your ass up, okay?"

Yashiro nodded as the veins in his temple and around his eyes bulged. With a pulsing of his deep lavender eyes, his Byakugan was active and ready for battle.

* * *

Yashiro and Yoshimura gazed at each other from across a field of branches and emerald leaves. The boy of the ice release smirked, spreading it across his face in a way that irked the Hyugga. Yashiro slid his feet apart along the damaged branch and brought his hand down behind his back. Just that moment, Yoshimura had vanished from his 360 degree vision. His kunai was brought up in front of him in instinctive anticipation before the posing Ame ninja appeared slicing down with a thin blade of ice. The unnaturally solid material clashed and grinded against the metal of of Yashiro's kunai. With a palm thrust, he made contact with the shinobi but failed to inflict any significant damage. A forearm layered with a sheet of ice prevented him from doing so. The two teens we locked in a stalemate, with Yoshimura's left forearm underneath his right arm that cut down. Yashiro had his kunai still parried against the frost crystal blade while his right palm crossed under it. He pulled away abruptly to break away, letting Yoshimura's momentum bring him down while he himself slid out of the way of the blade. It was whipped around at the Hyuga's neck, but he was able to lean out of the way, this time throwing both palms forward. There was a burst of chakra that blasted the attack from his feet and flying out into the forest.

Yoshimura immediately caught himself within the air but purposefully let himself be carried away by the force of the Hyuga's attack. Despite the subzero nature of his fighting style, his blood was boiling beneath his skin. It had been awhile since his last battle, and this current conflict he was engaged in excited him enough that he would disregard his mission just for the fun of it. Yashiro was already on his trail. The Hyuga witnessed the disgusting sneer as he soared across branches, expelling focused bursts of chakra from his palms. With the attacks in sight, Yoshimura acted. His hands were already casting seals, and when the blast approached, it warped into a sheet of solid ice that materialized to shield himself. The sound of impact thrashed of in a discrete location. Yashiro seemed puzzled at the spectacle. "Surprised?" Yoshimura taunted. The Hyuga ignored his comment and bolted by the the sheet to slash at his opponent, but no blood was drawn. He landed along the side of a tree trunk after his attempt. When he looked up, it was just the rectangular sheet of ice hanging in the air. The Kusa nin was nowhere in sight once again.

Yashiro narrowed his eyes. He searched in every direction and expanded his field of vision, waiting with patience. What he discovered was odd. Located in several different areas were similar sheets of ice that constructed a strategic perimeter. Furthermore, near one of the ice constructs appeared to be the after effects of the chakra attack he had previously used. His eyes widened at the realization. "So you did you finally figure it out? Impressive," voiced an individual. An arm dragged down but it was halted by Yashiro's grasp of the wrist. The strike was within his field of vision after all. The Hyugaa reached with both arms, dragging Yoshimura from the floating ice and throwing him into the open. Kunai darted towards the ice user but were deflected by small shards of his own. Yoshimura crouched underneath a branch a few meters away, observing his crafty opponent. Chakra kept him connect to the underside, and he pulled back hair from falling into his face. "You shouldn't have been able to detect me…oh, now I see," he realized with a closer look. Yoshimura saw the intensity that burned within Yashiro's pale irises. "From the look of those eyes you must have the Byakugan," the teen deduced, flipping from his inverted position to land, standing upright on a lower branch. "Unfortunately for you, I know you've got a blind spot somewhere."

"Don't you ever shut your mouth?" Yashiro shot back, obviously annoyed.

"Gahaha! I don't suppose so," Yoshimura chuckled, "you're just lucky to have an entertaining opponent like me."

With his knees bent, Yashiro sunk into his stance, and launched himself towards the shinobi across from him. However during his flight at the halfway point, he found himself surrounded by a wall of crystal ice structures. His eyes darted around to examine the dozen rectangle shapes. "Now all I have to do is find it, Ice Release: Crystal Ice Mirror Devastation," Yoshimura growled, holding a hand seal. That was the moment when Yashiro realized the purpose of these constructs. Through the ice came a volley of pointed shards from all directions. In mid air, there was no room to move or dodge. He was trapped, unless he decided to try to use that technique. If he didn't then it was over for him. His window was closing rapidly, and within that instant he became sure of himself. Just as Yoshimura thought his attack had closed in on the helpless Hyugga, there was a sky blue flash of chakra.

"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!"

At the moment of contact with the arctic spears, chakra expelled from all 361 of Yashiro's tenketsu. This initially pushed the first few spears back, but he could see there were more coming. Within that same instant he whipped his arms around to bring his body in rotation. The torque provided by this movement was amplified by the violent push of his chakra. As the rate in which the projectiles fired increased, Yashiro rotation speed doubled it. His body rotated rapidly in succession while chakra continuously erupted, generating a defensive sphere. The chakra in rotation, if measured, clocked in at sound speed, blasting the spears of ice into glass bits. The twelve mirrors that surrounded Yashiro deteriorated as the ammunition that riddled his protective shield of chakra. As expected of himself however, he wasn't able to prolong this jutsu. The speed of his rotation dolphin dived while the mirrors were coming down to their final fragments. There wasn't enough time. The sphere dispelled due to a lack of motion and Yashiro was vulnerable. The wave of chakra upon expulsion was enough to deflect several of the spears but it wasn't enough. Within his final revolution, Yashiro spotted each of the current spears as well as tried to anticipate the direction of the last of the spears that would come from the final fragments. He had to do this by hand if he didn't want to reveal his blind spot.

Yashiro desperately jabbed about his body without rest. Twin fingers connected against the lengths of the frozen spears instead of the tips, forcing a surge of chakra that dismantled the homing projectiles. The Hyūga broke through three dozen spears and counting, a feat credited to the results of his training. He caught the last two spears with ease, but there was another in the corner of his blind spot as he turned his head. A sprinkler of crimson expelled from a tear in the shoulder of Yashiro's coat. The spears in his hand slipped away from him, and he reached with his left for wound. The icicle that gashed him pinned into the the bark of the branch that Yoshimura was located, dripping with a reward of the blood the it drew. Yoshimura witnessed the boy lay out into a dent of wood a few meters below him, his back awkwardly absorbing much of the impact.

Yashiro rolled himself around in an attempt to rise, but the fall had dealt a fair amount of damage. He paid too much attention to his open wound instead of breaking his fall. Now he had two opponents to face, Yoshimura and the three fractured ribs of the left side of his torso. The branch wasn't kind to him, its surface as solid and coarse as concrete. On the bright side, the injury he was so focused on wasn't as serious as he believed it to be. Continuous pressure against the wound caused the blood to clot and the bleeding to stop for the meantime. It still could've used medical attention, however. When he was able to pick himself up at last, he felt the environmental conditions kick in. There was already a lack of oxygen in the atmosphere at the altitude he was located within, and not only was within the taller trees, his rib injury made it increasingly difficult to breath. His chest was hunched over his knees, and his fatigued breathing was obvious. He couldn't expand his lungs enough without irritating the ribs, causing sharp stabs of pain up his torso that would leave him with even less air. Yashiro had to compensate with short, gasps in order to keep himself functioning. If he was to continue this battle, the future was bleak for him. But he was the only line of resistance currently. Giving up now spelled misfortune for the others. Therefore, he decided to push through his adversity. The boy's Byakugan focused upon his own body with x-ray vision that allowed him to glance at the skeletal damage sustained. Not only were there fractures, the three ribs were dislocated. He focused chakra at his fingertips, held his breath, and jabbed himself. _Crack_! "GAH!" He wailed, relocating one of his ribs. It was an excruciating pain exceeding the magnitude that he felt when it was displaced. His torso felt as though it was being flattened between iron grates. There were two more that he had to tend to, unfortunately. Crick! Crackle!

He jabbed in two swift motions to lessen the stress, but instead quadrupled the threshold of pain. Now he had to readjust, swallow the block in his throat and keep fighting.

The risky actions left Yashiro initially exhausted, but he soon subsided, able to expand his lungs without having to deal with the stress of his ribs. Yoshimura on the other hand chuckled at his cries and efforts to remedy himself. This one found amusement in the way Yashiro wriggled in agony. Although it could have struck, he sat back simply because of that reason. When his treatment concluded Yoshimura ripped the icicle from the bark and brandished it at the Hyuga.

"Well, well, well, how was that fall of yours?" he laughed. Yashiro glared in silence. "You scream like a little girl."

Yashiro spit bloody saliva at the ground.

"You don't look too good there either. You should just get out of my way, I have no business with the likes of you."

"What are you talking about…aren't you here for our scroll!" he yelled across the forest.

"Of course not. I could care less about some useless scroll."

"Then why the hell are you here!" he demanded an answer, holding his left side and flinching because of his abrupt movement.

"My business is with your little grape-eyed buddy over there that I turned into a popsicle."

"Akua?" Yashiro realized. He was ready to retaliate after how he had just disrespected her, but calmed himself, "She has nothing to do with you, so get the hell out and leave us alone."

"Aww. Did I hurt your feelings? Is she precious to you? Disgusting," he spat.

Yashiro gritted his teeth.

"It's too bad. You don't seem to know as much about that piece of shit as you thought you did," Yoshimura continued, stabbing the foot long ice spear back into the branch and reaching for his coin.

"Stop spewing nonsense."

"Is it nonsense? I suppose so, coming from someone in your condition who's just about ready to keel over if she told him to. It's pitiful."

"Shut up," Yashiro shut his eyes, trying to block out his voice.

"She ever told you where she was from?"

The Hyuga fell to silence again.

"She's a criminal. Her and her ludicrous mother. How much has she lied to you about?"

"Nothing! You're wrong!" Yashiro erupted.

"Ignorance is bliss!" Yoshimura laughed, "Then I'm guessing she's never told you that she's a runaway fugitive from Kusagakure?"

"I said shut up!"

"One month ago, her mother stole top-secret government property from us, and with the help of grape-eye, they escaped our grasp and fled to Konoha. Your village has been harboring them ever since, and we've been unable to extradite them. Until now of course. Now we can take that criminal, lure her mother, and get back what is ours. Now, I won't give you another chance," Yoshimura declared, his expression hardened from atrocious humor to apathetic indifference. "Get. Out. Of. My. Way."

But Yashiro did the opposite. His safety no longer mattered to him. Yoshimura's words were insignificant to him. Nothing that he said could ever be comprehended and accepted as the truth. Such was the resolve behind his decision to disobey his enemy's ultimatum. The trust of his teammates held more weight than his well being, and he had promised that this individual would not get by. There was an unprecedented display of chakra that blasted from the soles of Yashiro's feet when he launched from the shattering branch while he was shrouded in its brilliance. Cobalt bolted across the forest canopy, but only to a certain point.

"You fool," growled Yoshimura, "…Ice Release: Crystal Ice Dragon Jutsu."

Those were the last words Yashiro heard before his chakra burst dispelled, his body swept away from it after taking the cold iron maw of a frozen beast to the stomach.

* * *

Approximately 50 meters away, Usagi and Akua could hear the commotion of the two male's ongoing conflict. When Yashiro's cries during his personal medical treatment caught Usagi's ears, she rushed her work. She had to free Akua from her prison of ice as soon as possible after all. Her endeavours were falling cold, however. This ice was more compact that the shards that she easily shattered. Yoshimura really meant to encase the girl with the strongest ice in his arsenal. Every time she touched its surface, the frosty rime rubbed off on her palms. It hindered the movement of her joints through simple contact. Usagi could only imagine what Akua, trapped on the inside, must be going through. However when she looked, her face was blank. The girl's free half was motionless. Usagi snapped several times but received no response. "Ugh," she muttered, slamming the pole end of her naginata into the ice. No results. She slammed again, and again, violently and several times over. Not a single shard chipped. Usagi was getting winded from the repetitive collisions. Then something clever occurred to her. It had a potential drawback however. If she used wind style to enhance her blade, it would most likely be able to put a dent in the ice. Conversely, if she took this approach, she'd have to be careful not to pierce Akua's body. "She probably can't feel that side of her body anyway," she deduced, reeling the blade back and infusing an emerald-phosphorescent wind style chakra. _Drip_. The sound caught her attention, halting her for a moment. _Drip_. _Drip_. _Drip_. Drops of clear liquid splashed against the ice before freezing. Usagi tilted her head to find her teammate in a soft, teary-eyed whimper. "Akua what the fuck is wrong with you? Are you crying?"

"Why…why won't you listen to me?" she asked, choking on her own voice.

"What?"

"Why are you still here…I told you to get away!"

"If I leave, how're you gonna get out?" Usagi said, continuing to defy her.

"That guy is out of our league! Okay? And when his team shows up we're all going to—"

She was cut short by the palm of Usagi's left hand whipping across her cheek and forcing her head to the side. Akua stared at the forestry to her left, still processing what had just happened for a moment. The red palm mark on her cheek stung and caused her to flinch.

"I don't know who you are right now, but maybe that brought the real Akua back."

"Why are you doing this for me?" Akua questioned.

"Because, you're apart of Team 5, Team Sakura, _OUR_ team. If there's one thing that Sakura sensei taught us, it's to never abandon your comrades."

Usagi was right. Her words cut deeper than any blade could have, and they made her recall what Sakura mentioned to her before they left for Kumogakure. If Team 5 was going to succeed then they had to work together. Telling them to abandon her was a contradiction to their principles. Each time she did they ignored her, not because she was a nuisance, but because they had accepted her as a comrade, just as Sakura had assured her. The two were proving it now as she pondered. Yashiro was in some other location, partaking in a battle where his chances of victory were minimal from the start. The longer she and Usagi sat around, the more he had to endure his suffering. But the Hyuga accepted the role he took upon himself with that in mind and did so regardless. He was counting on them. Usagi had also volunteered and would have been in the same situation of not for Yashiro's valiance. Here she was now, doing everything she could to fulfill his wishes to free Akua. The Uchiha could no longer resist the compassion of her comrades. She zoned back in from her thoughts to Usagi's voice, "Now will you quit your whining and sit still? I might accidentally stab you."

"What!" Akua screamed in shock from her statement. Akua's hair fluttered from a burst of wind chakra that sprayed her face as if gas was released. Usagi thrusted the blade of her naginata into the ice at last, successfully chipping the less than impenetrable mass.

"Just a little bit more!"

"Usag—!"

The naginata struck again, this time driving through the thick layers of ice that trapped Akua. Wind chakra expelled from the thin opening once more. However, the intrusion was only as large as the steel that made it. There were no cracks along the ice, only the clean cut that Usagi stabbed into it. "Well, we're getting somewhere."

"That…was dangerous! Are you _trying_ to kill me, you idiot!"

"Oh…now you wanna live? There's the Akua I know," she smiled and aimed for a another spot, ignoring Akua's scolding. Three more precision strikes were cut into the ice, each of them around an area between Akua's body and arm. Each one frightened the trapped girl because she had no idea when the blade would cut through her instead of just ice. Usagi was careless finding pleasure in keeping Akua on edge. She was returning to her normal self, the girl that would always nag her with whatever she did. Ever since entering the Chunin Exams, Usagi missed that feeling. She'd gotten so use to Akua's attitude, its absence was an abnormality. If continuing to prod at the ice would bring this back, then it was grounds to keep doing it.

After several excessive lacerations to the freezing crystal ice prison, Usagi fell to her knees, holding on to the naginata that was buried inches deep. The pole end gave her something to rest on so that she didn't fall on her face. Her stamina was draining at a faster rate that she expected, but then remembered the altitude. Despite the lay of the land, they were actually 7 km in the air. Oxygen was scarce. Sweat beaded down her temple and cheeks. Auburn strands matted to her skin and her body was burning up inside her fur coat. Usagi slide from her naginata and sat on her knees, unbuttoning the coat and throwing it off. She wore a short sleeved mesh shirt underneath the heated fur. The breeze from the air cooled the sweat on her skin.

Akua, relieved that she'd stopped slashing into her body, glanced down at the girl catching her breath. She played close attention to Usagi's busty chest, then glanced down at her own. A blush of jealousy sprung up across her cheeks. It was the first time she'd seen her without something baggy on. The flustered Uchiha shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be fantasizing about cleavage she didn't have. "Usagi! Get up!" The girl she called to was hunched over on her hands and knees now. "Stop sleeping we have to go help Yashiro, remember!" Akua was flailing her free right arm and leg trying to hit her but was clearly out of reach. The ice still locked her body against the tree trunk despite the breaks in its armor. Although she couldn't free herself yet, she could tell the jutsu was becoming fragile. Usagi's strikes poked strategic holes in the structure of the ice out of coincidence.

"Hey… Akua," Usagi coughed, "I think I got an idea."

"What is it?"

"You still got those paper tags?"

"Ye-…wait. What are you thinking…" Akua stopped herself.

Usagi didn't hesitate. She pounced from the ground and reached into Akua's tool pouch. From it she withdrew four paper bomb tags and held them up for her to see. "We can use these!" She figured.

"Usagi. Listen to me. You could've just stabbed me sixteen times a while ago. I'm not letting you blow me to bits!" She roared, her voice taking a dive from calm to excited.

"Relax! I'm not gonna blow you up…well, maybe just a little!" she reassured. Akua screamed and shouted, kicking her leg and swinging her single arm, but Usagi ignored her.

The Shimura girl went to the side where Akua couldn't reach her and leap to a branch adjacent to where she was on the left. One of the paper bombs were firmly planted against the trunk from this side. Then she leaped to the branch that was opposite to Akua and directly behind her. Two of the tags were placed on this side of the tree. With the last paper bomb, Usagi leaned further to the right to plant it. She deliberately avoided going all the way to the right with the bombs, for Akua's body wasn't encased by the ice there. "Usagi, I swear!"

"Shut up will ya! I'm trying to get you free here."

"Just keep using the damned naginata!" Akua ordered.

"That's gonna take forever, and Yashiro's waiting for us out there."

"No it isn't! We're almost done!"

"I know we are!" she announced, infusing the last of the tags with her chakra.

Usagi returned to Akua's side to pull her weapon from the ice. She wouldn't want her getting injured by it during the blast. All of Akua's complaining was blocked out. Usagi had learned to do this over the weeks that they'd been together. Usually after the first sentence, Akua would stop speaking and leave the scene. She seemed awfully garrulous today, however. Perhaps it was because Usagi was forming the hand sign to activate the paper bombs. The auburn haired girl gained distance before the explosion went off. "USAGI!" the girl finally heard. BOOM!

There was a blinding flash followed by an ignition spark lit the forest beyond the boundaries of the sunlight. It was a beautiful gleam, but only for a brief moment. Then came the virulent orange orb of expanding destruction . A shockwave of force erupted on the level of the paper bombs, one that Usagi was able to evade, but there was a second that originated from the explosion itself, sending her flying into the trunk of another tree. She was able to catch herself against its side, chakra clinging her feet to its bark, however shards of splintering wood came firing towards her. With a swing and slash of her naginata the timber was obliterated, just as the remains of the tree she had diced and denotated. The rumble of a firework popped ears at such a proximity, the sound even within the range of Yashiro whom was a great distance away already. From the smoke cloud and fiery devastation soared Akua's body followed by a trail of fragmented ice. The explosion had heated her prison, as well as provided enough force to further disrupt the frozen bonds that held it together. Transparent chunks were peeling from her body until she collided into the side of branch in her trajectory. The ice absorbed the force of an impact that would've surely broken her in half, but instead the frozen water crushed to shield her body, contrary to what it was intended to do. She tumbled away from the ice against her body and rolled from the branch, unconscious from the shock of the spectacle that ignited around her just seconds ago. The breeze against her face was enough to stir her back to reality, where she became vaguely aware of her own condition. Akua caught herself within an instant before crashing into a lower branch. These surfaces weren't comfy either. A long fall resulted in serious injury. Therefore, Akua forced herself around and landed on her feet gently, bending her knees to do away with the impact of the fall. She scrapped the frozen remains from her clothing and rubbed at the charring of wood residue. The aftermath of the explosion was subsiding now with glowing embers of the crownless oak tree. The branch that Akua was trapped against snapped away from the main stem shrouded in flames, breaking apart as it twisted and turned from hitting other limbs on the way down. The rest of the main stump was shrapnel in the bark of the trees that encompassed it. The masking smoke of burning timber filled the noses and eyes of the two girls. Akua watched as the other branches crumbled away. A potential forest fire was underway. Such a commotion would surely draw attention of all kinds towards them. The explosion left a rising beacon after all in the dust and murky gray debris that extended past the canopy. A million insults were running through Akua's head when she shot a look at Usagi grinning against the tree. She couldn't keep her left eye from twitching in in fury at the smile of fake innocence.

Akua was free now, and her entire attitude about the situation shifted. After glaring up at the one wrenched from from her imprisonment, however arbitrary the methods were, she was able to focus on what was important. Her violet gaze turned to her left side that was locked beneath a tundra of cold. Hot blood began to flow through her veins once again, regaining the feeling in her parched cells. They too were ridding themselves of the icy shackles that cloaked them. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Usagi," she called, "are you ready."

"Totally. He's waiting for us out there. Let's go!" And Usagi launched off into the direction she last heard the noise of conflict. Akua clenched her left fist, frictioning the rubbery material of her glove against itself. Without a second thought, she too was charging into the same direction with her teammate.

* * *

Akua and Usagi arrived at a time where Yashiro was combating the ghastly dragon of ice that Yoshimura created. Its proportions were magnificent in scale as well as the other features that defined it. Every square inch of its hide was composed of a cluster of translucent water crystals. Each of them expanded and contracted as if it possessed a respiratory system, but it was in fact due to the wave-like movement of the scales themselves. Sharp-horned shards protruded from the temples of its head upwards along with similar shards layered within its maw for teeth. Golden gleams were present within the balls of ice that made up the eyes. A frosty mist rolled from the nostrils and the long, traditional style body, was packed with material and chakra that emitted a blue tint. The beast lingered within the heights of the forest, its origins being its caster's back.

Both girls were immediately obligated by choice to aid Yashiro once they'd assessed the situation. Therefore, their first method of attack was Yoshimura. With a 3v1, it was accepted by the two that they would surely be able to defeat him before his partners were to arrive. Akua was the first and naturally more aggressive of the two to strike. She landed upon the branch that Yoshimura was located with her ninjato draw with her right hand. She charged from his left along the wooden path until within proximity to deliver a blow, one swift slash of her weapon at the boy. But this was parried by a similar attack. Yoshimura manifested his own blade of ice within an instant to keep the Uchiha at bay, the two in a struggling stalemate. Usagi's turn came next. She was fast on Yoshimura's tracks from the other side, leaping down the stem of the oak and dashing towards him with sandals clicking hard against the surface. Yoshimura brought his other hand up with an identical weapon, but the force of Usagi's wind release against her naginata cut it down to size. This brought him off balance, giving Akua the opportunity to lunge with a forward jab of the sword. Usagi rebounded from the other end, swinging the blade horizontally from his back. It was too simple for him though. Usagi's blade collided into the beginnings of the body of the dragon, which moved to protect the boy. Akua on the other end had her sword caught by Yoshimura's blocky, iced palm. As the two struggled to pierce him, he took a quick glance at the Uchiha. "I still don't sense any killing intent from you," he smirked, "maybe if you had some this attack would've worked!" Shards fired from the hide of the dragon body with respect to the two girl's locations. The sudden counterattack caused them both to fall back. Usagi sliced at the shards and landed on a branch a safe distance away. Akua had to release her ninjato and withdrew a kunai. With it she was barely able to deflect the oncoming projectiles, falling back onto a branch opposite Usagi.

The Shimura read the look on her friend's face. Akua was shaken up by their enemy's comment. "Hey, Akua! Don't listen to him alright?" She blurted, trying to comfort her. It wasn't very effective however.

"Usagi!" Yashiro called, noticing their presence, "I need you guys to do me a favor!"

Usagi raised an eyebrow but never took her eyes off of their opponent, "What is it?"

"I dropped our scroll before you guys came here…this damned dragon knocked it out of my pouch."

"What the fuck Yashiro!" she swore, "what exactly are you telling us to do…"

At that point Akua entered the conversation, "Did it fall…to the forest floor…"

"…Yes…" Yashiro murmured, "I'm sorry to ask you guys this again, but I'm gonna need you both to get it back. The floor is too dangerous to travel upon alone and there's no telling where it is. I can hold him off until you guys get it, you just need to trust me." He was eyeing down the dragon from a far tree when he spoke.

"No way, Yashiro! Not aga—"

"C'mon, Usagi, we've gotta trust him!" Akua chimed in, "if it's the only way we're gonna get this scroll back then we have to do it. He's made it this far hasn't he?"

"Ugh!" Usagi grumbled, then glanced at Yashiro, "If you need us you better yell!"

The two girls kept their eyes on Yoshimura as they retreated, making sure that he wouldn't try to attack them with their backs turned. They did so until they were out of sight, descending through the rustling, leafy tree levels. Akua landed on a branch a few meters above the ground, holding her hand out to gesture Usagi's halt. She scanned the area thoroughly, making sure her violet eyes processed every possible detail. Below them was a rather windy dirt path that split the enormous oak bases. Mossy emerald growth and murky pools of rainwater were scattered. The soil was damp with the liquids of the harsh showers, enough to leave distinct tracks. Upon closer examination, they appeared to be other shinobi. Someone had passed through, however not recently. One hundred meters to the west, the path lead to a dead end, connecting to part of a mountain slope that was too steep to walk on. At the same distance to the east, the path was hidden by the timber. The shinobi tracks seemed to end about half way for some odd reason. When Akua turned her head to the north, about 150 meters, there was a mangled deer carcase in the grass. Furthermore, there seemed to be a disturbance in the bushes around it as well as pieces of bark torn from trees. The Uchiha gulped down and narrowed her eyebrows. "Usagi," she called, "we have to hurry."

"I know, come on then!"

They leapt from their branches with soft landings. Akua was especially careful not to make noise. "Be quiet, I have a bad feeling."

"Don't you always?" Usagi teased.

"I'm not kidding, something just doesn't seem righ—"

There was a crashing of glass heard above them, and sprinkles of ice rained down. The battle between the two males was raging on as they spoke. Usagi brushed past the girl in immediate search, ignoring Akua's suggestions. She took careless steps everywhere she went, enough to draw the attention of any passerby. In addition, locating the scroll itself was a chore. Even though what they were searching for would stand in stark contrast to the surrounding forestry, there was an over abundance of space. Coupled with the thick vegetation, it meant that the scroll could be hidden underneath bushes, buried into the topsoil, lost in grass, or worse, eaten by something. That was the most unfortunate and most unlikely outcome.

Fifteen long minutes passed. Every few seconds they would stop their search and listen in on Yashiro. He was in combat for a decent amount of time, especially at an altitude where there was little oxygen. Akua was still worried. He didn't need to do everything by himself, despite trying to emerge as someone for the Team 5. It was unnecessary, but he felt obligated either way. All they had to do was switch out one person, which is what Akua wanted to suggest, but then she would be taking his chance away again. It was the same thing she did in the first exam. She didn't want to make him feel insignificant, so she decided to trust his wishes and abilities. Her mind was off in a drift.

"Hey, I think I found it!" Usagi shouted. Her voice jolted Akua's consciousness, her eyes picking up on a glimmer casted from a small breach in the endless expanse of green. A sliver of sunlight broke through the tall canopy to illuminate the kanji upon the heaven scroll. The two girls sprinted towards the scroll, their spirits high.. They would be able to help Yashiro in a few moments. Akua noticed something as they approached it. They were heading towards the east.

Usagi tossed a kunai near the scroll to check for any traps or disturbances. It was all clear. Her pace increased. She wanted to get back to Yashiro as soon as possible. However, there was a thundering sound stomping through the woods that the girl's excitement caused her to undermine. "Usagi!" Akua screamed. An instinctive switch clicked in Usagi's head. Her senses shifted, tuning into the sound of Akua's voice. Then the approaching sound became apparent. Usagi slid across the ground to a grinding stop, just before the scroll, her knees bending to leap backwards. When she was in the middle of her maneuver, her body was thrown off by the force of the thing that honed in on them. She was drawn in with its momentum and collided into the side of a oak root to the left. Her naginata was displaced even further to that direction. Bark shattered around her on impact, and the blow was hard enough to punch the wind from her lungs. She scraped the surface of the tree as she crumpled to the ground, suffering shock from a sudden expelling of air. Akua slipped across the dirt trying to stop herself when getting to her. The right side of Usagi's body was split open with several shallow cuts that ran down her arm and leg. "Usagi! Relax, just slow down and breathe!" Akua instructed. She was in desperate search of what caused this as her comrade gasped for air. She dragged Usagi from the side of the root and rested her upon her back about ten meters away. Resting on one knee, she drew her kunai in defense. The scroll was in sight, a bit more than 20 meters from where they were. But their assailant stepped in between them and their possession. It was a four legged beast with spiked, razor-sharp, sunkissed fur that had sliced Usagi's skin. The muscles of its body were chiseled through the hide, and flexed with each dominate trot of its monstrous paws. They were enough to flatten an entire torso. It's vicious claws and teeth were stained with a fresh, crimson coating and it spit a chewed up femur from its mouth. Hot steam puffed from the nostril as it hummed its rumbling growl. Dark, slitted hazel eyes locked on with the sparkling amethyst of Akua's. The Uchiha girl rose from her knee as the grotesque feline creature snarled. She'd already been through an experience such as this, and fear was absent in her facial expression. Firm seriousness was etched instead.

The girl beside the Uchiha collected enough air to fill her lungs, nourishing her body with much needed oxygen. She was still winded but not in a way that kept her from standing. Her left arm was hugged across her diaphragm as she breathed. She took a glance at the beast before her then at her friend. "Hey," Usagi started, "you remember our first mission together as Team 5?"

Akua nodded, "Yea, but this is a little more dangerous than a wild bear, don't you think?"

"Nah, no way! We can handle this," Usagi bragged.

"Well, then you have to go get your naginata."

"That's true…are you ready?"

"Hmm, of course."

Thus began their assault. They charged from the front at first, running at equal speeds until Usagi dashed off to the left with a swift turn. She was directed for her naginata. Akua propelled from the ground into the air. The beast was confused in the instant, trying to decide which one to go after. Usagi at this point had the thick oak roots as her cover, therefore the beast chose to attack the one he could still see. He scraped his paw at Akua but she tucked her legs in and soared above him. She was in a complete inverted position, upside down with her arms crossed at her chest. She had eight kunai flash in between her fingers as the heavy monster fell back to the ground. In the middle of her arc, the kunai were fired with the swing of her arms. Force buried the piercing tips into the back of the beast, slicing through its fur and hide. Akua's precise shurikenjutsu pinpointed specific points along its spine. Her success was exemplified by how promptly the deteriorating effects took place. This beast was abnormally resistant, however. When Akua took her eyes away for a moment to complete her arc, the animal was there in her face, ready to claw her in half despite having its pressure points punctured. But its body was blown to her left before it was able to do anything. A devastating gust of wind cleaved the earth along its path, taking the feline with it. The massive body was planted and pressed against the solidness of the oak trunk. Akua recognized the jutsu as her comrades. Usagi retrieved her naginata.

Akua landed from her aerodynamics directly over the scroll, scooping the ground to retrieve it. It was covered in grass blades and muddy residue. She secured it within her pouch before giving Usagi a nod of success. Her comrade had the beast squared in her sights with the naginata as she did. Akua sprinted in her friend's direction as if they'd read each other's minds and ran up the side of a waiting tree. As she positioned herself on a branch above Usagi, the beast charged again. The Shimura was ready once more, crushing it underneath her naginata wind tunnel jutsu. Akua readied her hand seals, the dragon and tiger forms being the most significant in the series. She sat, anticipating the movement of the creature, as it wouldn't be held under the wind release for long. As predicted, the beast maneuvered, pouncing above the range of the tunnel. Akua was prepared, already in the air with the target angled below her. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!" She roared, expanding her lungs and pursing her lips. The moisture in the area experienced sudden evaporation. Usagi felt a salty trickle of sweat run down her forehead when the blazing inferno screamed to life. Scarlet flames engulfed the entire beast in a sphere of burning destruction as it tried to escape the wind. Akua's intense stream pushed the scorching animal back into the death that awaited it. The moment it re-entered the tunnel, hell unleashed. The flames soaked up the the strength of the wind chakra in order to amplify its own. The furnace the beast was trapped in tore away at it's flesh, disintegrated skin and scoured it to the bone. When the torch quelled, a black, irrecognizable body was imprinted into the side of the singed tree bark. Their mission was accomplished, but there was something else that they had to tend to.

* * *

Yashiro stumbled out of the crater in the wood that his made, walking along the branch and collapsing onto his right hand and knees. The continued assaults of the crystalline reptilian monster that lingered before him were unbearable. Perhaps the only reason he was still alive was because of his evasiveness. But here was another advantage within the Hyuga's bag of tricks. After the first blow by the ice dragon, Yashiro worked on having it follow his trail. Yoshimura who thought nothing of his plan continued to attack, on the boy's trail wherever he went. Yashiro used the terrain to his advantage, having the long body of the shimmering eastern style dragon curl and bend around the sturdy oak tree stems. Not only did this limit its mobility, but caused tiny cracks along the hide and within the body of the jutsu that only the Byakugan could recognize. His preparations were complete and he awaited his chance to retaliate. With his head towards the floor, it appeared that he was spent, but he was secretly keeping an eye on the movements of the dragon. It jolted forward. "Gotcha," he whispered.

When the maw approached once more, Yashiro sprung a few feet from the surface of the branch. His arms were held out to his sides, in the motion of a spin when the jagged teeth and frosty aura were within range. From his fingertips, arms, torso, legs and feet, chakra expelled at all points of his body. He underwent another high speed rotation that caused the chakra to wrap his body in another bright cobalt orb. The velocity peaked at the speed of sound rippling away devastating vibrations. The dragon, too slow to pull up, rammed head first into the rotation technique. Ice grinded away, resonating with a frequency that resembled the screeching of steel against an industrial grater. Glass-like fragments ricocheted in all directions and cracks streamed along the body of the headless beast. Yashiro's defense slowed and dispersed due to his growing fatigue. The spreading vibrations dismantled the layered ice however, taking advantage of the weaknesses he distributed along it. A rain of ice shards littered the forest, everything occurring within such a short period of time, irritating the one in control of the jutsu. Yashiro saw the anger in his eyes in his 360 vision, a sight that brought a smile to him. Then the anger flipped to his own grin. "Heh," Yoshimura scoffed and held a hand sign.

Yashiro saw his reflection within each of the descending shards. Then nothing. Each of them were gone from his vision. Sharp pains stung at hundreds of points around his body. There was an instant loss of breath as there were origins of the pain in his chest and neck. His arms and legs burned with the throbbing that accompanied it. His eyes were blinking in and out, each time the images he processed blurred. He became confused at the substances that floated into his deteriorated eyesight. His perception sank, time seeming to flow in slow motion when he realized what had happened to him. The mixed images came together again. Blood. Blood was spraying from his body and painting the leaves around him. "Did you really get me?" Yoshimura laughed, watching the body, skewered by the shards at every angle immediately after its rotation quelled, tilt towards the forest floor. Then came unpredictability.

"Yes I did," claimed an absence voice.

Within that instant the pierced body vanished into a poof of white smoke, revealing a wooden log riddled with the frozen dragon fragments. Yoshimura couldn't keep his pupils from widening and his jaw from dropping. He realized the voice at his six all too late when he got to turning around. "I know I shouldn't be using this…," Yashiro stated, entering his Gentle Fist stance, "but desperate times call for desperate measures don't they?"

"Wha—" Yoshimura was cut off by the plunging of Yashiro's index and middle finger into his chest. There was a burst of chakra that pistoned from the tips of his fingers when he thrusted for his jab. Yoshimura's body could do nothing to react in time, being struck by another pair of fingers on the opposite hand.

"Eight Trigrams: Two Palms!" Yashiro yelled after the second strike. The moment his fingers pulled back the right jab returned immediately. The chakra burst pinned another point directly before the left struck again, both attacking a different area of the body. "Four Palms!" He announced after he finished that series. His opponent was still in shock from the first hit when he called out his next series of attacks. "Eight Palms!" The force of his violent blows magnified ten fold with the first of four more strikes to add on to the previous. One could see the impact distribute itself through Yoshimura's body from his back, ending with a vertical shockwave after each palm. Yashiro's body spun clockwise after his final left strike of that series, using his torque to deliver an even more disastrous blow with his right hand to begin his next set. "Sixteen Palms!" At this point, Yoshimura was no longer standing on the branch, he was being knocked into the air by the relentless jutsu, held up by the force of impact. Shockwaves of chakra were pressed outwards due to the abundance in which he delivered with his attacks. Eight more strikes added onto the the previous. His arms could no longer be seen, they were simple blurs. What was more unbelievable was his ability to complete this set of eight in less time than the other. With each increasing number the power and speed doubled. The veins at the side of Yashiro's head hardened for this last series. He had to leap into the air to follow Yoshimura now. "Eight Trigrams: Thirty Two Palms!" Sixteen more blows crushed into the battered torso in a fraction of the time the previous set took. Chakra was now expelling in every which way, slicing leaves and lashing over tree bark. _I'll push for sixty four_ , he thought to himself, but failed to realize something important that was right in front of him.

His arrogance blinded him, he who could see almost everything with his Byakugan. Yashiro, after completing half of his intended set, noticed all too late and he wasn't able to stop himself. Cracks spread across Yoshimura's body until the Hyūga's strikes cause him to shatter into fragmented chunks of ice. Yashiro's body was push through them by the momentum of the technique, and deep slashes bore into his skin like glass. "I can play that game too," a menacing voice echoed. Now in stinging pain, Yashiro's heart sank. A sheen of light was visible beyond his peripherals and when he twisted to face it, he writhed in agony.

It was Yoshimura, forcing the weight of his entire body into the boy. Yashiro's previous momentum along with Yoshimura's caused them to continue downward, only at a multiplied velocity. The Hyūga's back thudded into the wide trunk in the mid portion of a tree, and a trail of blood followed him as he slid down with his enemy burrowed against him. His limbs grew weak and pale, and he felt as though he could no longer catch his breath. His body was draining of something more than his strength, however. Upon a closer examination of himself, he resigned to an impending doom. Buried in his lower abdomen, near where his kidney would be, was the steel of an abnormal blade. His eyes widened in horror when he saw the tri-edged twist as well as the uncontrollable fountain that he was becoming.

* * *

 **A/N: An unfortunate turn of events, might I add. The future doesn't look too bright for Team 5 as they face off against one of Tanoshimi's Genesis team. How might the rest fair? You'll have to wait until chapter nine to find out.**

 **As far as the drawing goes, I did make a picture, but decided to change the theme of it at the last minute. It would kind of spoil the plot if I released it now. I truly apologize, therefore, after the posting of the next chapter I'll have two pictures simultaneously ready. Please bare with me a little longer on that regard, thank you.**

 **Fav/Follow/Review, I enjoy feedback! See you again in two weeks.**


	9. Chunin Exams Part 4

**A/N: Hello everyone. I apologize for the late release this week, but I've been ill the past couple of days and still am. I wasn't able to finish on time because of it. I actually could have posted yesterday but it would have been rushed. I'd rather provide you all with a late, quality chapter than a half-assed, early one. I hope you'll bare with me and enjoy the climax of the these Chunin Exams.**

 **As for the drawings, I wasn't able to sit down and finish those either, so expect them some time during this week.**

 **Pull out your box of tissues, you might need it for this one.**

 **Ch 9**

 **Chunin Exams Part 4**

His spine was riddled upon collision with the sturdy oak. Air rushed from his lungs, his body resembling that of a deflating bag. The ridged bark tore into the material of his jacket, digging into skin while he descended the rough surface. His ribs were re-injured, this time dislocated in areas on both sides of the cage, and his head whip-lashed against the bark. His vision was a daze. Images blurred apart and there were a thousand more trees than before. The boy nearly suffocated against the tree. The wind vacated his body, he couldn't expand his lungs to take deep breaths, and there was already minimal oxygen available. It was a terrible situation yet the least of his misfortunes.

Yashiro gasped for air regardless of the circumstances. His chest was almost numb and the pain didn't affect him. But the sharp sting just underneath the right side of his diaphragm couldn't be ignored. He was still unaware of what had happened to him. Soon, his vision began to collect itself, the several hundred layers of cards condensing into just a few. The 360 degree eyesight that he possessed was gradually deteriorating as the seconds accumulated. His peripherals caked in darkness from both sides until it was just his original line of sight. The muscles and veins around his temples and eyes relaxed, there was no blood rushing to them anymore. The intensity of his Byakugan vanished. They were simple, pupiless, pale eyes now. His awareness of himself washed in from the top down. As it extended to his chest, he felt the throbbing of his heart. _Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump_! Erratic in nature it was, but only for a moment. _Thump…thump…thump_. It became more difficult to feel, as if there was no reason for it to pump anymore, nothing within it to force throughout his body. Now he felt the contraction of his stomach and a resulting taste of cold iron against his tongue. His clogged throat forced him to cough, a violent, regurgitating action. Less than what he expected came, and he didn't bend over to puke. It was just a coating fluid flooding over his bottom lip and down his chin. He attempted to lift his left hand, but he didn't know what he was holding on to. He used his right hand instead, dragging his palm across his chin and mouth. Yashiro focused his vision on the center of his hand. It was odd to him in his fuzzy sight that his palm was of darker complexion than his skin. But soon his vision cleared, so much so that his eyes began to wide to his epiphany. "Blood..? …AGH!" the Hyūga writhed.

The deep, carmine liquid of life was sat in abundance within the palm of Yashiro's right hand. Trembling set in, his entire arm was now shaking as he stared himself down. He felt his mouth filling with the disgusting taste of metal as the seconds dragged on. Every time he went to wipe his mouth again, it added another coat onto his skin. The drops splattered across the front of his palm, the sleeve of his jacket and drained down his neck. It was uncontrollable. The muscles in his chest tightened. His heart was being crushed by anxiety. His throat filled again, forcing him to cough. Unlike before, this was a episode of hacking and spitting. Yashiro painted the face of the individual before him. His vision zoned out and back in to solidify the features. Yoshimura. "…GAH!" the boy cried out again. Hazel eyes pierced through his dimming, already pale irises. His enemy was able to see the wrinkles of terror that was etched into his face. He was able to see the conniving smirk that was spread from ear to ear, smeared with his own blood. A shoulder was pressed into his chest, pinning him into the oaken trunk. Yashiro's sight trailed down from the eyes, down from the smirk, down from the shoulder to see where the origin of his agony lie. Before he saw what had struck him, the garnet-painted branch he stood upon became prevalent. The soles of his shinobi sandals were dyed a new color, drenched in an ever growing puddle of red ink. His vision refocused. His left hand was actually clenched against Yoshimura's wrist, holding on for dear life by instinct. Yet, it was still inadequate. There was at least six inches of twisted, tri-edged steel in his kidney. Yashiro for a moment had forgotten that the color of his jacket was blue when he saw what was pooling from his wound.

The Hyūga struggled with the blade in his stomach, still attempting to push Yoshimura's arms away, but the boy wouldn't budge. He had at least 15 more kg of weight on Yashiro. Moreover, each time Yashiro strained himself, he would force more blood from his body. It was a foolish, but desperate method of action. But there was nothing else he could do. His cells were being deprived of nourishment. Oxygen couldn't be delivered to them, and for that, his muscles grew weaker each second. His neck slacked, tilting his head down. His consciousness was fading. Darkness was setting in. As much as he tried to keep his eyes open, it was like the light itself was being siphoned away. The view of Yoshimura, the lethal weapon buried into his body, the landscape that surrounded them, everything was slipping away from him, no matter how hard he tried to hold on. The fingers of his left hand began to loosen. At this point, Yoshimura's attention was diverted. Although feeling in much of his body was gone, he could still feel the exiting of the knife. "… _Yashiro…_ " he heard. It was a distant, female voice. "… _.Yashiro…_ " she called to him again. The eloquence of the disembodied sound was soothing.

"… _Who is this?_ " he wondered.

"… _Come to me, my beloved…_ " the voice responded. Yashiro still had no clear vision. All that existed now was the dark emptiness before him, and a dot of light in the center.

"… _Mother…?_ " he recognized. Yashiro couldn't feel the movement, but it was as if he was turning his head in search of something. The light swiped across the center of the pitch black space as he did. He finally figured out where the voice was coming from as he stared into the bright crack in the void.

"… _Come…_ " the voice of his mother said again. The light grew. He was being pulled closer. "… _It's ti_ —"

"YASHIRO!" boomed a second female voice. It was infinitely more violent and aggressive than the one before. "…YASHIRO!" it screamed once more. There were two voiced mixed in to call his name. They didn't originate from the light. The came from the darkness, the outside.

"… _Usagi…Akua…_ " their voices were crystal clear to him. Although he could no longer see them, he knew exactly where they were, and that they could see him and his condition. The two girls approached at high speeds from his east. He could hear their screams, shouts and their cries. All of it was pulling him back, restricting him from progressing towards the light. They were reactivating his conscience, their voices like a tether to the world.

"YASHIRO..!" his comrades shouted at the tops of their lungs. Despite his situation, Yashiro remained selfless.

" _They're going to draw too much attention to themselves_ ," he thought to himself. Now their chakras were detectable. Each of them had their adrenaline rushing through their veins. Akua's chakra was different, however. He was able revisualize the world around him, by the feel of their energy. This briefly allowed the light to return to his eyes. There was absolutely no strength left in his arms, yet he held Yoshimura in a grip of fate and pulled the blade further into his body so that the ice user wouldn't be able to escape. "Get out of here," Yashiro's voice returned, " …go!"

He saw their dim images within his broken vision and the sorrow that pulled their faces down. The both of them were about 30 meters away from him. He wasn't able to see everything, but the tears that streamed from their eyelids sparkled like crystals under the light of the full moon. The two females were halted by his words of warning. "…I'm sorry. I know that…I'm a failure, but please," he pleaded, keeping Yoshimura against his body, "this is it for me… and it's the last thing"—he choked, blood was visibly flooding his esophagus by the way the liquid hung from his lips—"…that I…can do to…protect the two of you."

"Forget it!" Usagi viciously denied, "we're coming to help you!"

He figured Usagi would be unreasonable, but when his switched to Akua, she was motionless. Pain worse than anything he was experiencing was vivid by the crimson gleam in her eyes, a divergence from the purple that he was use to. He flexed a smile upon the speculation of what it was. Akua clenched her teeth and shook her head, realizing the severity of the situation. Yashiro could tell that she was blaming herself for his fate, but this was his own decision. There was so much that he wanted to say, so much that he wanted to tell her specifically. At the very least, he wanted to relieve her of the guilt that she was bound to feel if he died on them. Alas, he could no longer speak. Yoshimura was crushing his throat and landing blows against his chest in order to free himself, but his well being was far beyond his reach now. None of it mattered to him at this point. All that matter was that his friends got away safely and for that purpose, he willed his lifeless body to hold on. While he held on with his left hand, Yashiro was able to lift his right fist toward his comrades. Akua immediately recognized its meaning, and sunk her head. A moment later, the Hyūga witnessed Akua carrying Usagi away on her back. It was the very last image of the real world that he saw. The brilliance of Akua's Sharingan as she looked back, the last memory that he departed with. His right arm fell limp. His back slid even further down the branches, sinking into a seat. The darkness engulfed him again, but this time he was ready. He was no longer able to resist the call of the voice. In an instant his fears, troubles, worries, pains, and regrets were all swept away as he bathed in the light. He was free.

* * *

Akua felt uneasy as she approached the scene of Yashiro's battle with Usagi. The two were silent, yet the way they increased their pace without a word made it seem like they communicated telepathically. That wasn't the case, though. It was a simple observation instead that caused them both to simultaneously want to rush towards their friend. The sounds of the battle ceased. This could only mean one of two things. Yashiro had completed his task, what he'd promised to them that he would do. On the other hand, it could also be a result of his failure. Part of Akua was afraid that the latter of the two had occurred, for if Yashiro had defeated Yoshimura, he most likely would have rendezvoused with them. But the resting silence had gone on for too long. Yashiro should have met with them already. Akua tried to push the thought of his defeat out of her mind, filling it with alternate solutions. One of which was that Yashiro surely prevailed, but he was injured and couldn't travel towards them. He needed their help. However, each time she peered at Usagi in the corner of her eye, reality kept on slapping her in the face. Akua's reassurance and possible denial crumbled with Usagi's fretful facial expression. The Shimura was already exuding an aura despair that tickled Akua's skin. She saw the tears welling up in her eyelids, caught in the wind behind her as she ran. Despite obtaining the heaven scroll, all the girls had now was hope. But it wasn't enough.

Usagi charged on ahead when she caught a glimpse of Yashiro within the dark oak tree. Her feet almost kicked dirt up into Akua's face. The Uchiha came into distant view of her comrade a few seconds later. It only took a slight tilt of the head to see Yashiro standing with weak knees upon a low branch, pinned against the thick trunk of the tree. That was when Usagi erupted with his name from her mouth. It was a scream of shock, disgust and horror that sunk the beating muscle in Akua's chest. It was rivaled only by the sight that caused it. Yoshimura had his body against their teammate and underneath them, the branch was blackened by blood. Someone was bleeding out in epic proportions and the heart that sank felt like it had been shot through. The glint of steel from Yashiro's body solidified Akua's fears. Even from a distance of 100 closing meters, she was able to see the unique and deadly tri-blade kunai that was buried into the depths of his abdomen. Within seconds, Akua realized the gravity of the situation. Her own tears started to swell without her permission. She wasn't able to deny it anymore, the truth was there in front of her. It was the lethal kunai that Tanoshimi also wielded, the same one that if pierced with resulted in eminent death without immediate medical treatment. Yashiro was already far beyond repair when it was confirmed that the weapon tore into a vital spot. The mess that the two boys stood in was concrete evidence of that. Regardless of how futile her presence was now, Akua never stopped running. The two girls screamed his name now. The tears in Akua's eyes overflowed. Mixed emotions of remorse, anger, and misery tried to blend together in her chest. The physical reaction that resulted was inevitable. Tear fluid glossed the entirety of her eyeballs, adding to the gradient crimson of her three-tomoe sharingan.

Akua's eyebrows tilted in and her teeth grinded against each other. She was ready to retaliate in the name of her friend. However, she and Usagi were frozen in their tracks by his unexpected voice. He was slipping away, and there wasn't a thing they could do to help him. His death was inevitable now. Akua stood helpless as a spectator while Yashiro sacrificed the last of his strength to allow their escape. Akua figured that he was aware of his fate as well. The thought sickened her. His final plea, heartbreaking. She wanted to disagree with him again but failed to assert herself. Usagi cracked underneath the stress, blind to what was happening.

"Akua! Don't listen to him let's—"

"Forgive me." There was a flash of red in Usagi's eyes. The girl's pupils dilated in the gaze of Akua's dojutsu. Her consciousness faded, cast away with the effects of genjutsu. Her body fell limp into Akua's arms. The Uchiha dropped to her knees when she caught her friend, crumbling into her distressed emotions. Her tears dripped into Usagi's hair while she collected herself. She got to her feet again, lifted her teammate into a piggy-back and picked up the girl's naginata. This was in compliance to Yashiro's request. The least should could do now was to listen to him for the last time. Afterall, she felt responsible for this situation. There was a damp puddle of soil in the ground that was darkened by Akua's sobs and as Yashiro's arm began to lose its luster, she turned in the other direction. While she ran, Akua couldn't help but to look back at her friend. She wasn't aware, but her Sharingan was visible to him. The crimson eye of the Uchiha and the lavender white eye of the Hyūga met in lines of sight. Through it, it was as if they were sharing information in silence, saying their last goodbyes as both of them departed.

The last Akua saw of Yashiro before the canopy of leaves obscured her vision was his dead right arm that collapsed to his side, lowering the fist that he made. The second thing was his lifeless eyes. They were empty shells of what they used to be. The third thing was the faint smile that he wore in his final moments. He was satisfied with what he had done, satisfied with his fate as though he succeeded at something in his death. Akua subliminally figured that it was because he thought that he was finally able to do something to aid his team. But that wasn't true at all, not to Akua. His feeling of uselessness was never a factor, never something that anyone on Team Sakura dwelled upon. It was never something that hindered their performance. There had to be something else as to why he was doing it. His sacrifice was for naught if that was the reason, because neither Usagi, Sakura, nor herself felt such a way. The few hours it took for Akua to make the imminent realization felt like an eternity, time passing by as if it had thickened into a frozen slurry.

Akua clenched her eyes shut, letting the tears flow away from the corners and hanging her head towards the ground as she travelled. Her nose was a snotty mess that she let linger. She held her sobbing within, knowing it would keep her from moving fast enough. Her primary goal now was to get Usagi to safety. Yet the thought of Yashiro lingered. "Ugh!" she growled, shaking her head in defeat and cursing herself. The soles of her sandals left a heavy print in the moist soil as she bolted into the air, hoisting herself upon a branch to continue her escape by tree.

Bleak clouds crowded within the magnetic barrier that surrounded the dreadful Cloudburst Isles. There was a soft rumbling as the heavy collections of water vapor rubbed against each other, and the sky wept with the raven-haired Uchiha girl that traversed beneath it.

* * *

The gray clouds filled the heavens and forbade any of the afternoon sun from touching the surface of the island. Instead they painted a disgusting picture in the sky, resembling a lumped blob of lint. They scrapped the atmosphere and cursed the genin and creatures below them with a spell of their rolling thunder as they encircled the land, only situated within that region of the aerospace. Along with that came its token to the soil and plant life, a light shower much less severe than the previous stormcell. One special, dark oak was in great need of a rinsing. Instead of the translucent tears of rain that bathed the other tree leaves, this one soaked away a black, bloody crimson.

After a few minutes, Yoshimura was finally able to wrench himself from Yashiro's death grip. The Hyūga had held on to him even after it was clear that the life had passed from his body, for he no longer bled. Yoshimura reeled back and examined his work. Everything that once flowed through him was now either on Yoshimura's skin and clothing or running down the side of the bark underneath the rain. The rest sat within the corpse, unable to circulate near the wound. The eyes of the menacing ice wielder trailed from the head down of Yashiro's body, stopping when they arrived at the blade still lodged into his stomach. "You should've got away when you had the chance. You knew you weren't going to win this fight," he sighed, disappointed that he was not listened to.

"Are you perhaps getting a little soft, Yoshi-san?" a young female voice chimed. She had a bit of a foreign accent that the boy recognized.

"Pfft," Yoshimura scoffed and turned to face the girl, "the hell are you talking about? My jutsu doesn't lie, I'm ice co—"

"Ah-ah-ah"—the girl approached—"simply because your jutsu insinuates such, doesn't mean that the same applies here," she interjected, poking her left index finger into Yoshimura's chest. The slits of her eyes were in a pool of liquid-platinum, and they scanned her partner's body. "It seems that you had quite the scuffle here as well," she giggled. Yoshimura stood still while her index pressed left of center with his head tilted in silence. His dripping locks of blonde her darkened by the water and strands hung in his face to cover his eyes. The downpour drenched the two individuals, washing the red stains from his skin specifically to reveal the scratches that he had gained. The female's finger dragged across his left peck, boots clicking against the branch as she passed behind him to see the one that laid lifeless.

"Well he's dead now, ain't he, Tano?" Yoshimura rebuttled.

"Well of course, but it took you so long you let our prize get away," she joked, crouching to place her palm against Yashiro's headband and tilt his head up. His eyelids were half closed, but she could still see the empty Byakugan in his sockets.

"She couldn't have gotten that far," announced another, yet deeper male voice. It was the third individual of their team, who sat along a thinner, more elevated branch. This one had short, almost buzzed, brown hair underneath his headband. His features were rough and his facial expressions were stolid. He donned a generic, unzipped, camouflage flak jacket over a black, long-sleeved shirt. He had grey cargo-combat pants tucked into a pair of black, calf-high shinobi sandals. Upon his chin was the beginning of a light stubble. He appeared uninterested in the matters at hand.

"Hey, Ken-san, looks like Yoshi-san courted himself a Hyūga. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Does it have anything to do with our current mission?" he asked.

"No, but it is a neat bonus."

"For you, I guess."

"Don't be so rude Kenji…"—the tone of her voice stiffened—"it's difficult to lighten up the mood, especially with you here," she inserted, turning her head to the right and glancing back at him. Kenji was silent. Tanoshimi reverted her attention to Yashiro. The index and middle finger of her left hand split to pull down the bottom eyelids of the deceased boy simultaneously. She then moved her index to the left, closing the space between the middle and focused only on the adjacent eye. Her right hand shifted in order to hold the head in place while it aided in keeping the lids open. Then without hesitation, three left fingers attacked. The first two were placed above the eyeball while the thumb gouged underneath it. Yoshimura wasn't paying attention at first until he heard the the macabre severing of flesh. He turned to the empty, partially closed socket teaming with fresh blood that rinsed away down pale cheeks in the rain. The sight was enough to cause unease in his gut.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he blurted in confusion. Tanoshimi was already at work removing the second Byakugan.

"These are the entire reason why this one was a special kill. You too might not understand it yet, given that you haven't received this mission"—her nails, clipped the optic nerve—"but it is important to the creed of my family."

"Oh yea…I forgot you were one of them Ryū-kōtetsu, the Dragonsteel. That's your last name isn't it?" Yoshimura hinted.

"Yes, it's been shortened to Ryūketsu over the years due to certain implications, but the meaning is still the same," informed Tanoshimi, rising from her crouched position.

"Why's that?" the boy wondered.

"I'm not obligated to tell you," she said, strutting past him once more, causing him to follow her with his eyes.

"All these years together and I never once asked what your last name was, I'm a terrible partner aren't I," he chuckled, not seeming to mind that self-proclamation.

"If you say so," the girl declaimed with a grin, ogling the pair of Byakugan within her right palm, "but it wasn't your purpose to get to know who I was during that time, was it?"

"No."

"Then I don't think it matters, Yoshi-san."

"Heh, that being said, what d'ya plan on doing with those?"

Tanoshimi's fingers uncurled further, leaving more of the Byakugan to be seen. Within a fraction of a second, the pair of eyes were swallowed by a glowing ignition of inferno. Even though it was surrounded by moderate rainfall, the fire burned with life. The two small spheres in the girl's palm scorched to a crisp, deteriorating into a collection of embers. And with that the eyes were no more. She held the flame out to her comrade, as the demonstration was complete. His question was answered.

"No traces left huh?" he suggested.

"Precisely."

"Well, this was cool and all, but we still have a mission to complete. Grape-eyes is still on the run," Yoshimura reminded.

Tanoshimi's nose twitched, "Not an issue. I have her scent, I know exactly where she is." The female's damp, snow-white hair fluttered around as she turned away from Yoshimura to find Kenji within the leaves. She began a pace along the branch, her mature hips swaying with each step.

"When did you manage to get a whiff of her?" Yoshimura inquired.

Tanoshimi giggled again in the middle of her path, "Don't worry about it. Now, let's go and nourish ourselves, we aren't in a rush afterall. "

Yoshimura rolled his eyes, but when he was about to follow the girl, he was halted by her voice.

"Don't forget your Mieshibō kunai, Yoshi-san, I paid a substantial amount to acquire them."

"Tsk," he muffled, turning back to retrieve his weapon. Yoshimura gazed at the individual he had killed in utter disregard for the value of life. He ruthlessly ripped the kunai from the corpse, using the material of the jacket to give it a clean sweep and then sheathed the blade. The weight of this murder didn't even chip at his soul. His hazel irises were frozen over while he peered, taking in one last view of admiration in his work, signified by the conniving half-smirk. He had done himself a favor by finishing off the Hyūga in such a manner. To him, Yashiro's demise was another trophy that he could add to his collection. But as did the others, that feeling faded. His deed was no longer of significance.

Yoshimura reached into his left pocket after sheathing his kunai and withdrew his favorite golden coin. As he closed the distance between himself and Tanoshimi, he flipped the precious metal into the air. The flat of the coin batted at the oncoming droplets, and water glided off of its surface. He snatched it out of the air once it began to descend. Tanoshimi gestured for Kenji to mobilize with two quick wrist flicks, then she pounced off, leaping through the canopy. Kenji was the second to leave, moving from his stationary spot. Yoshimura lingered for a bit, never looking back at the corpse behind him, but was still searching for something. The boy's head pivoted from right to left, observing his entire field of vision. When his eyes stared down his ten o'clock direction, his left arm lifted from his side. Floating towards him from that direction was a wide chunk of ice he had laying around the area. Within it was the ninjato he disarmed from Akua. Amusement was painted all over his face at the sight of it. "Ah, this here'll be a perfect sign for good luck," he said to himself, pulling the weapon from its frozen prison. Yoshimura tucked the blade into the belt that hooked the kunai to his side before dashing off to follow his teammates.

It only took a few minutes for the pseudo-Amegakure team to arrive at their destination, although it was foreign to Yoshimura since it was created during his battle. It was a makeshift, earthen tunnel that connected to the mountainside and served as a cave-like shelter large enough for the three of them. They were protected from the elements beyond it, the rainshower drops breaking over the solid surface of the jutsu. Compared to the outside it was warm in their shelter, in part due to Tanoshimi's creation of a pitfire. It was here that they prepared their meal before charging into combat again. Deer meat broiled over the searing, open flames, seasoned with the nutrient dense embers from the burning wood. Kenji was no chef, but he knew his fair share of survival tactics, ranging from catching the animal itself to gutting and cooking it. The carcass of the animal was disposed of long before they'd arrived. All he needed to do was tend to the edibles.

A quarter hour went by before anything was ready to eat. The trio remained quiet for the entirety of the time that they had been at the shelter. They were used to minding their own business and it was quite awkward for them when Tanoshimi would try to start conversation. It was obvious that all three individuals hailed from Kusagakure's Genesis program. The group was acquainted with each other, but neither knew the other on a personal level. Teamwork was never stressed as essential to the development of stone cold shinobi. The occasional friendship, however, was unavoidable in some cases between constituents. These kids, from a young age, only ever focused on their ability to fight and perform accordingly in crises. Social skills were not apart of the curriculum either. Therefore, a majority of the Genesis children were social outcasts, completely clueless in how to act around people in public when they weren't out killing. Simple conversation was foreign to them. As always though, there were exceptions. "So, Yoshi-san, how exactly did your encounter with precious little Akua play out?" she started. Yoshimura gnawed into the plump deer meat, chewing with vigor and swallowing before he even thought about answering.

"Well while you two were slacking around for food, I continued on with our mission, you know, the one where we have to capture Grape-eyes?"

"This is a three day test Yoshi-san, and it had only been a few hours. She wasn't going anywhere," the female rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't matter, the longer we wait the more time she has to actually complete the exam. Despite how awful she really is, something as easy as this is still within her ballpark."

Kenji sat in silence around the firepit, observing the conversation of both his teammates. He wasn't known to intrude on anything unless specifically ordered to. Even then, when it came to speaking, he might as well be considered mute. As the fire danced, the shadows that wrapped their bodies and faces mimicked. He watched the wood that he had in crack and splinter underneath the bright flame. His eyes narrowed and a spell of unease settled in. Kenji took a bite into his meal and refocused his attention to his team.

"You still didn't answer my question, Yoshi-san," Tanoshimi continued. She had already consumed her small, selected portion of the deer. Now she sat around the fire with her legs crossed, the right hooked over the left knee. She was leaned over enough that her right elbow rested upon her leg, supporting her tilted head with that same palm against her cheek. She had a habit of moving the part of the leg that hung, rotating in tiny circles about the joint of her knee. Her foot however, was what lead the movement.

"I ended up finding her with my ice mirrors. Turns out she was nearby, traveling by the trees. It was clever but, not enough to keep her away from me," he boasted.

"Then?"

"I caught them off guard and ended up freezing Grape-eyes against a tree. I had to stop myself breaking out into laughter 'cause it was so easy, had to look a little bit menacing."

"So she didn't actually fight you?"

"She was terrified, just like she always was against us, except this time I could've sworn she shit herself," Yoshimura chuckled. "That Hyūga kid stepped forward though so I had my fun with him while it lasted. He put up a good fight, but I was getting bored. I sprinkled in little rays of hope for him—"

"I knew you were getting soft," she drawled.

"Shut up! I was just tryin' to make it fun for myself!"

"Those cuts you have speak for themselves."

"Whatever. Anyway… grape-eyes and that other showed up, broke her out of my ice somehow, and they started to attack. One of 'em had a naginata and was ready to cut me in half but grape-eyes was as hesitant as ever"—he patted the ninjato at his side—"I even disarmed her in the process. All three of them would've had a better chance at taking me down if they fought together, but that Hyūga kid wanted to fight me alone. Noble, but stupid. His devotion killed him. Grape-eyes was quick to agree with him. I guess she really didn't wanna fight me," Yoshimura grinned.

"That's interesting," Tanoshimi pondered, "I wonder why… perhaps spending a month away from us really softened her up."

"Beats me. Kenji, what do you think, you been sittin' there all quiet and shit."

It took a moment before he actually responded, "If you know your enemy and know yourself, there's no reason to fear the result of any battle."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Such a wonderful insight Ken-san," Tanoshimi praised him. There was depth to Kenji's rare speech, and every word was appreciated by those who were able to understand. Otherwise, individuals were left a bit irritated.

"Whatever," Yoshimura continued, "the other two girls showed up again just when I stabbed him with that new kunai. I felt like testing it out, that thing is beautiful. It had him spilling puddles in seconds."

Tanoshimi smiled at the compliment towards the weapons she had acquired for them.

"I don't know how he did it. but he grabbed onto my arm and wouldn't let me go. When I looked around grape-eyes was carrying that other girl away. He used the last of his strength to let them escape."

"Do you think he knew that we were after her?"

"I kinda told him…"

Tanoshimi's face straightened, "You're such an imbecile. I'll be sure to mention you're the one who allowed our target to slip through our fingers."

"Oh please, you got her scent don't you?"

"That's true."

"Then there's no need to worry. All we have to do is capture her, leave these trashy exams and get the information we need out of her." Yoshimura flipped his coin. "Heads or tails?"

"You think it will be that easy? Don't be so naive, Yoshi-san. Akua is still a product of Genesis." Tanoshimi watched as the gold fell into his palm and was pressed onto the roof of the other. "Heads," she guessed.

"I'm not being naive,"—He held up the coin to her without looking—"luck is just on our side."

It was tails.

* * *

The rain was outside was light, yet it was still able to make surfaces slippery. Such was the case when Akua's left leg slid out from underneath her in the middle of bringing her right forward during her sprint. A smooth stone was her downfall, and with the weight of Usagi upon her back, she wasn't able to catch herself on time. But it was almost as if she didn't want to. Thus due to her clumsiness, she ate mud, splashing herself and Usagi into the rain-soaked soil. Her teammate's body rolled around before it came to a stop in front of her. Akua glided along the ground until her head was stopped by the girl's unconscious torso. With the rain falling against her back, she laid in the ground for several minutes before she decided to peel her face from its muddy mold. She got to her hands and knees, digging her fingers through the mess. Her arms trembled when she realized where she was. She sat back against her legs and tilted her head up towards the sky. The Uchiha stared aimlessly, her eyes an amethyst beacon to anything that flew above, if only there was any sunlight. Water droplets pelted her skin, beginning to rinse the sludge from face. Now her arms hung at her sides in the wet dirt. Her eyelids narrowed and her lips parted. Her blank expression twisted into frustration and her right fist swung to beat into the ground, displacing the viscous mixture earth and water. "GRAH! UGH!" she grunted, hunching over to the floor again. "Why…" she asked herself. There was no one around to hear her other than Usagi, but she wasn't able to at the moment. Akua was alone in the muddy grass field. Anything could have attacked her at this point, but the world seemed to ignore her.

Akua staggered to her feet. The soles of her sandals sank into the mud under her weight as she did. She took large steps in order to lug them across the path. The rest of her body, except for parts of her back, was a brown canvas. As for Usagi, one would have tripped over her body because of the way she melded with the ground. To an outsider it looked like they had a wrestling match in the muck. Akua approached her friend and dragged from the muddy bed she laid in. There was an end to the small clearing ahead of them, another collection trees. She was eager to get there, the forestry would provide them protection. The terrain was also more solid. Boulders and stony fragments scattered area between the trees due to there being short mountain structure behind it. Akua continued her pace, now stepping with more care in that direction. She turned back for a second, almost forgetting the naginata. Usagi was against her back again, and she carried her the entire way.

The Uchiha stumbled through a shallow creek towards an crevice in the ground near the side of the mountain. As she got closer, she realized it was a small, hollowed out opening. It didn't seem to have any other inhabitants or materials nearby, so she considered it safe for them to take shelter in. Similar to their previous abode, it was a cave like structure. The opening gave way to a clear, spacious area large enough to fit about fifteen people. The entrance had a rocky slope downwards that led to a bedrock flooring that was flat at the center. The moss, grass and soil of the forest followed into the cave, but became less prevalent as one travelled deeper. Dim rays light found its way inside, but only lit around the opening. The rest was shrouded in darkness. Akua rested Usagi against the wall and the naginata in her lap. She was aware that her friend would stir soon in anger and confusion. Preparations for it were already made. The Uchiha sighed as she examined the rest of the cave which was unseeable from the outside. Her stomach growled in the middle of her search. The figured that Usagi would feel the same when she woke, therefore, she decided to find food. Akua made sure her friend was hidden within the cave before crawling up the slope to the entrance. She took one last glance at behind her before dashing away.

When she returned, Usagi was still unconscious. Akua had a large leaf of several hundred blueberries that she picked in her hands and a net hanging from her teeth with three trout she caught from the creek. She placed what she'd gathered near the center of the cave then left again. The girl returned again with a cluster of wood for a fire. She dropped the wet branch fragments onto the ground and held a tiger seal. Using her ninjutsu was the only way she would be able to spark any flame. The cave flashed a bright shade of orange as Akua knelt, exhaling a breath of fire against the wood. The crackling of the organic material followed as the flame spread and began to grow to maturity. After getting the fire started, she pulled out one of her kunai and sliced into the bodies of the fish she captured, scaling them and deftly slicing out the intestines and other organs and revealing the edible meat. There were three clean sticks left over from when she was prodding the fish, and two large stones that she'd carried across the cave and placed at either side of the fire pit. She used these to lay each fish across the flame by the sticks.

Akua rose to her feet, turning around to see her friend a few feet away. She was charging. Usagi collided into Akua, leading with her shoulder in her stomach, and tackling her to the ground. The two travelled over the flame, nearly putting it out before they landed. Akua struggled to get up, but Usagi had her straddled and was clung to her body. The Uchiha felt her throat tightening. Usagi had her left hand clenched around it. Her teammate's muddy face came into her vision. Usagi's fury burned through, and the next thing Akua saw was the side of the cave. Usagi's right hook stunned the girl. All her movements and attempts to get free ceased. Akua's throat was released and both cheeks were being battered by a pair of knuckles. She could hear her friend's grunts and cries but couldn't see anything, her hair got in the way. Everything was silent now, except for Usagi's breathing. Akua turned her head to face her. The Uchiha's dirty cheeks were bruised and the left side of her lip was split open. A trail of blood trickled from her right nostril as well. When their gazes met, Usagi screeched, swinging her body from the girl and stumbling into the stone. Teardrops fell and stung the cuts on Akua's cheek when Usagi removed herself. The distressed Shimura was now in the corner of the cave. "You fucking bitch!" she cursed, grabbing her naginata and smashing it into the wall of earth. Fragments exploded from impact and crumbled at her feet. Rage fueled the rest of her violent strikes, "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" Each hit was accompanied by a verbal outburst. But it would eventually break down into a whimpering sob, " …Fuck! …fuc..! …fu…" Usagi's words were replaced by her tears. The girl collapsed to her knees, using the naginata as support to keep herself from thudding into the stone. Akua stared into the stalactite ceiling and listened to her weeping comrade while she lay. "AHHHHHHH!" Usagi wailed into the floor. The deafening sound frightened several birds from their nests, even though it was pouring outside. The girl's body spun around her naginata and she fell onto her bottom. The weapon was chucked across the cave, soaring over Akua's view and clamoring against the wall and floor until it came to a skidding stop behind her.

Akua, after a few minutes, pulled herself together and sat up. Usagi hung her head, hugging her knees and trembling. There wasn't a word of conversation between the two. Akua didn't want to press it yet. Instead, she decided that she would leave her alone for the time being. The young girl approached the flame and sat near it, turning each fish to its other side so it wouldn't burn. Akua pulled her knees in while she watched the fish broil in the fire, and the amber light reflected in her violet eyes. When the fish was ready, Akua took two of the sticks within her grasp and removed the third from the flame. With them, she approached Usagi carefully. She made it all the way in front of her without another fit of rage from the girl. Usagi was able to tell she was closing in by the way Akua's shadow loomed in front of her. "What do you want," Usagi muttered.

"Here," Akua replied, holding a fish forward.

"I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat, we can't finish this test on empty stomachs."

"So that's it huh? Heh, I should've known. Our teammate is lying dead somewhere in the middle of the forest of a fucking floating island, and all you can think about is finishing the test. All you think about is yourself and only yourself."

"That's not tru—"

"Not true? Don't fucking bullshit me, Akua." She glared into the girl's eyes now. "You were afraid the moment to set foot onto this island. Hell, you were afraid even before the first exam. And you were afraid to fight that blonde piece of shit. Now Yashiro is gone because of you. His blood is on your hands because you couldn't stop thinking about your own goddamn well-being for a second to help. If all three of us had just fought together the moment we got the chance then we could have all walked out alive. But of course, you didn't want to fight and Yashiro payed for it. I should've just ignored him and left you in the ice. At least then, I could have done something." Usagi slapped Akua's hand away, "I don't want shit from you."

"I wasn't afraid for my own well being," Akua rebuttled, "I was afraid of not being able to protect the both of you. I was scared and reluctant that if we engaged in battle with Yoshimura, his teammates would arrive in his aid. I just… wanted to avoid it all. I wasn't doubting our abilities, I was petrified of theirs." Akua sank to her knees then sat in front of Usagi, diverting her eyes to the ground. "But Yashiro's confidence gave me hope. I wanted to trust him, trust that he would be able to hold out until we got back… but now… I blame myself for making that decision. I should've insisted that we helped him, and if I could go back and do it over again I would. But I can't"—she faced Usagi again—"he's gone, and there's nothing we can do to bring him back. If you want to hate me for the rest of your life, then I accept your feelings, but don't let Yashiro's death be in vain. The least I can do… the least we can do now is the finish what we started. For him."

"Tsk, you still don't get it do you."

"What do you mean?"

"The reason for everything he did. The reason why he stepped up to fight and kept me from doing so. The reason he insisted that he fought by himself. Did you think it was a coincidence he sent us away to get the scroll?"

Akua gulped down.

"As long as you're alive, his death won't be in vain. He didn't do all this for just Team 5. He did it specifically because and for you. You are the reason his body is cold, because he felt for you. He felt enough to throw his life away so that you could live."

There were no words that Akua could formulate. Her eyelids were frozen open upon the revelation. This was what she was pondering, the answer to a question she thought would never come. It was all too simple.

"Love kills, Akua."

Akua's eyelids glazed down. Her facial expression fell neutral now, devoid of emotion. "I don't deserve his intimate feelings." Akua searched her heart endlessly, but there was nothing but guilt and pity for Yashiro. She knew that deep down, she probably would have never been able to return those feelings. Now her chest writhed. The boy she once knew had thrown his life away for naught.

"Anyone with a brain could see that he liked you in some way. Do you even feel anything for him?"

Akua was silent.

"I figured. You might as well just spit on his grave, dontcha think?"

"No. He was our teammate."

"Stop lying to yourself. It disgusts me that after this, you still consider yourself apart of our team."

"You were the one who insisted I was, Usagi. You wouldn't abandon me when I told you to. I am apart of this team. If you're going to let your anger over Yashiro's death revoke that, fine. But you can't stop me from helping you, you can't stop me from contributing, and you can't stop me from thinking that I belong here."

Usagi was stopped in her tracks. She couldn't think of a sly remark. Everything Akua said was true. Usagi did have a chance to leave the girl. In fact, Akua urged her to leave her be, but she herself refused obey. She wanted to help Akua because she considered her apart of the team. Usagi had only contradicted herself just now by implying that she wasn't. Evidently, some of the blame for Yashiro's demise fell on her shoulders. Akua wasn't the only one making decisions, something Usagi failed to realize until now. She could see now that both of them were grieving. Both were affected by Yashiro's own decision. Both of them were now alive because he made that decision.

Akua felt her fingers being brushed, opening against her will. The stick she held in her left hand was removed and when she tilted her gaze up, Usagi's teeth crunched into the crispy fish. Akua's mouth hung open, surprised that her offering was accepted. "You should eat," Usagi suggested, "your food is gonna get cold."

* * *

The two girls tried to relax as best they could, but it was difficult considering the morning of horror that they had just been through. Everything seemed empty without Yashiro there. An hour and a half passed since the hostile atmosphere of their hideaway changed. Usagi opened up and accepted the food Akua gathered for them. The grapes were split, and the last fish was shared. The spent the rest of that time sitting motionless and sifting through their thoughts. "Hey, Akua," Usagi called, turning her head to the left to see her.

"Yea?"

"Why exactly were you afraid for our lives, beyond the natural reaction I mean. What makes that dude and the others so terrifying?"

"I'd have to tell you a little bit about myself to answer that," Akua sighed.

"I'm listening."

Akua glanced at Usagi in the corner of her eyes then returned her gaze towards the dying fire. She pulled herself from her slouched position against the wall and bent her knees. She folded her forearms across them and rested her chin on top of that before she spoke. "Well, they all come from the same village as me. They're not actually from Amegakure, they're from Kusagakure."

"So you have personal knowledge of who they are?"

Akua nodded, "All three of us come from this program called Genesis. It takes kids from about the age they're able to walk and start molding them into shinobi."

"What the hell… how is that even legal?"

"The program is funded by the country. The government actually draft the participants beyond the will of their guardians."

"So this program has bred them into killing machines, huh?"

"Yea… at their age, it'd be like going up against three jonin level ninja in an exam filled with genin. Anyone who isn't already at that level by then is either dead or being whipped into shape."

"What about you? You don't think you compare to them?"

"I have no idea… I haven't actually seen them in a few months despite me migrating to Konoha recently. I wasn't ever able to defeat either of them. They're here," Akua paused for a moment, deciding to speak about her mother's theft but elected not to, "…they're here with the intent to kill."

"You shouldn't doubt yourself like that, you dumbass."

"All three of them are leagues ahead of me, ready to kill at a moment's notice. I've never been able to kill anyone." Akua sunk, burying her face in between her arms. Her guilt about Yashiro began to settle in again. Had she attacked Yoshimura with the intent to kill, perhaps it would have changed the course of events. The thought of Yashiro being able to sense her fear caused her to sink her head further.

"Hey, I know I teased you about it before, but there's nothing wrong with not being able to kill someone. I've never actually taken a life before. I don't think I even could if I had the option."

Akua's head lifted to look towards Usagi. The mutual confession between the two made her feel a bit more comfortable. "We can't stay like this. We'll have to overcome that if we're going to be shinobi."

Usagi sighed, "Sometimes I wonder why I even decided to become a ninja… for my family? For Konoha? I don't know… I was so excited when I graduated and became a genin, but during my first Chunin exam, everything became so real. Now, both of my original teammates are gone." Her fingers ran through her auburn bangs, laced with dry dirt. "Do you still have a reason?"

"I do. I have a twin brother that I need to find. I'll have to beat this cruel world to do it. He was my original reason. Now I have a few more, including Yashiro's sacrifice."

Usagi glanced at Akua as she spoke. Her resolve was empowering enough to respark the light in her dim, amber eyes. "I should listen to you more, you actually say some good things even though you're just a kid"—she picked herself up from her seat—"I think I've found my reason."

"Really?"

"Mhm. Yashiro was my best friend, so I'm going to do this for him like you said. And I'm going to do it for you too. He gave his life for you and I won't let it go to waste."

Akua turned away, feeling undeserving of Usagi's sudden declaration, "I should have told you about me long before this. Maybe then, we'd have…"

Usagi made her way across the cave to retrieve her naginata while Akua's voice trailed off.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said to you awhile ago. My emotions were speaking for me. My heart still aches, and I'm sure yours does too, but we can't mourn anymore. We'll both be dead soon and Yashiro wouldn't want that now, would he?"

Akua shook her head.

"Then we gotta complete this test. For Yashiro." The rough, pole end of the naginata was slammed into the stone.

"For Yashiro," Akua repeated.

"By the way, back when… you know… your eyes are you—"

"Yes," the Uchiha interrupted, "You can't tell anyone ok… I have to keep it a secret."

"…We can talk about it more later, we got a job to finish."

And with that last word, the fire that lit the cave burned through the last of the wooden material and was choked away. Darkness shrouded the cave once more. The two girls carried the weight of Yashiro's sacrifice evenly, determined to see the exams to the end. All they had to do was obtain an Earth scroll and locate the Thunder Gate tower. Avoiding the Genesis team was top priority. They both realized that they were outnumbered and outclassed. Their survival depended on it. Unfortunately they had already made several mistakes.

* * *

 ***Heads up, it's going to get quite violent here. Feel free to skip to the end, there'll be a short summary of what occurred.***

Akua and Usagi crept out into the open, careful to keep from attracting any unwanted attention. The rain continued its gentle pouring. The forest was still and the wind hardly whistled. Everything was silent and the coast was clear. Usagi was the first to jump through the entrance of the cave, followed by Akua. Akua examined the area before her, looking from left to right several times. Her head tilted to find anything that might try to approach from above. When her view returned, Usagi was already across the creek, ten meters into the forestry. "Usagi! What are you doing!" she whispered.

"Akua… I hear something!" she responded in the same low tone, "I think it's… Yashiro…"

Akua wasn't able to hear anything except for the sound of Usagi's steps squishing against soft mud. Something was wrong. Akua narrowed her eyes, approaching Usagi as the violet irises melted to a dark crimson. When the three tomoe spiraled around Akua's pupil, she was able to discern what was happening. Usagi's chakra flow was being distorted. " _Genjutsu!_ " Akua concluded. Her slow approach hastened into a sprint. She grabbed onto her delusional friend. "Come on, we gotta go," she blurted out, wrenching her from the confines of the illusion. Akua didn't wait for Usagi to respond, she was already dragging the girl.

"What the hell is going on!" Usagi shouted, regaining control of herself.

"You were just trapped under a genjutsu… someone is messing with us." Both females were now sprinting through the rain, leaving tracks in the muddy trail. They slide to a messy halt when a wall of earth erupted from the ground to block their path. The two took a detour to the right, instead, continuing in that direction until a flurry of jagged ice stakes cut through the droplets and pegged into the soil. Akua and Usagi had to dive in opposite directions in order to evade them. " _How is this even possible…there's no way…_ " Akua bulldozed through her thoughts. Her eyes desperately searched the surroundings, ready to fall out of her head because of the way they abruptly changed direction. She saw one body of chakra to her left, and another to her right. Neither of them were Usagi's, whom was standing a few meters in front her her on the other side of the ice. " _Where the hell is—_ "

The thought was cut short when she turned to her six. Her head reeled back under the force of a flat metal slamming into her temple. The last thing Akua saw was the of sole of a boot smeared with tracks of mud before she found herself crashing through several feet of ice. Her back straightened out against a tree behind Usagi. The Shimura only saw the black blur that was Akua's body before momentum carried fragments of ice into her. Usagi glanced at her teammate stunned at the base of the tree, then turned her head forwards. There was a white haired, teenaged girl about her age with her right leg extended in the position of a completed side-kick. The soles of her boots were clad in steel. The girl brought her leg down to her side and ran her left hand through her hair. Usagi's gaze met her own. Tanoshimi's slitted platinum eyes overflowed with a crazed bloodlust. "I'll take a page out of Yoshimura's book for you since I think you're a little cute; run away while you have the chance. You'll be doing everyone a favor."

Usagi, like the stubborn individual she was, did the exact opposite. She braced her naginata in her fighting stance, pointing it towards Tanoshimi and stepped in front of Akua. Usagi was no sensor type, but at this range the chakra she felt was devastating to her psyche. It was like the energy radiating from the white haired girl was trying to strangle her. She'd never felt anything as malicious as this. It dwarfed the feeling she had when Yoshimura first made an appearance. Her body was now trembling, and her vision blurred. She wasn't able to react quick enough when Tanoshimi lunged without mercy.

Usagi's next blink had Tanoshimi's palm in her face. Akua had the girl's right arm clenched at the wrist with her left hand. When the silver of a weapon glinted, Akua's other hand was ready. She stopped the the underhook of Tanoshimi's left hand by crossing right arm underneath her own left to meet it. The Mieshibō kunai was stuck in a struggle in between them. Akua's sharingan burned with a crimson that forced her eyes open in fury. The Genesis female seemed fascinated in Akua's eyes rather than terrified. "I see, the same pair of eyes as your brother I see, I guess abomination runs in the family," she teased.

"Don't you talk about him..!" Akua growled. She broke their stalemate by ripping her arms away in order leave her opponent open for another attack. Akua's roundhouse kick however, only displaced the rain. She then found herself in the air, leaping over the supposed underground surprise attack by Kenji. His hands sprouted from underneath the mud, but he wasn't able to grab hold of her. It was as if she had seen it all coming before it happened. There was now a kunai within her grasp while she was in mid air that deflected an oncoming weapon. There was a clack of metal. Akua noticed a sickle, attached to a rattling chain, that was reeling back from her kunai. It was Tanoshimi's summoned kusarigama. Akua's feet hit the ground now, crouched into a low base. Standing in between Tanoshimi and Kenji, her eyes darted back and forth to each of them. Her vision was as clear as day. Everything slowed down for her. It was the first time she engaged in real time combat with her Sharingan since her training with Kakashi. It was also the first time she had fought either Kenji or Tanoshimi with in. The three wasted no time to continue their battle, however.

Usagi's vision panned around the area. She was overwhelmed by the fluctuations in chakra levels. Everyone, including Akua, had powerful auras around them that made the girl hesitate before helping her friend. Kenji and Tanoshimi were not approaching Akua the way Yoshimura originally approached them. Those two were genuinely ready to kill the girl at any moment. It was then that she realized the magnitude of Akua's fear. She had to experience her worthlessness herself before she accepted that these individuals were out of her league. Everything was happening at a blinding speed. Her eyes couldn't keep up with them. The naginata trembled along with her, still standing in her same spot.

At this point, Akua was being tossed around, barely able to defend herself due to fatigue. Tanoshimi's gyrating kusarigama chain swung down with an earth splitting rotational force. Akua shielded herself again with the kunai, but Tanoshimi lashed at the chain, causing the blade to rebound about another axis. It pulled from underneath Akua this time and a tore away at the fabric of her hoodie and sliced into left tricep. Blood mixed into the mud as it dripped from the deep, muscle severing wound. The Uchiha's teeth were clenched, biting down the pain. She had to fight through it. Immediately after that was Kenji's sailing round-house. As Akua ducked underneath that right leg, Kenji's body was making a complete, 360 degree turn. In that instant, her own jumping, left round-house was ready to blindside the boy. Kenji didn't leave himself unprepared however. His forearms were held together in front of his face. Not only that, they were clad in a sudden layer of metal. It was his steel release kekkei genkai. Akua fell into the trap. She always had a habit of immediately following up an attack that made her duck with her own version of a round-house kick. This time it would come back to haunt her. Akua's left shin bone crumbled against Kenji's steel forearms. The pain throbbed through her leg, punched through her chest and supercharged her brain with the signals it received. An empty scream of agony filled her throat and left her jaw open. The humming of the steel sounded as she was batted into the mud. "Hmph," Kenji grunted.

"Those eyes of yours seemed to have made your combat a little more fluid, but you're still all too predictable, little Akua," Tanoshimi taunted. "Now why don't you sit down and give us what we want."

Akua wallowed in the mud, holding on to her fragmented tibia. "Fuck you…" she cursed, her face half buried into the murky ground.

"You're a little bit too young to have a foul mouth," scolded Tanoshimi.

It was imperative that Usagi acted now. Akua, as much as she tried, could no longer defend herself properly. The Shimura clenched her naginata, almost crushing the handle within her grasp. With a horizontal slash, a shockwave of wind style chakra cleaved through the rain. Kenji landed in front of Tanoshimi as it approached, effortlessly breaking the current around his body. The remaining halves of it severed full grown oaks from their roots behind the two Genesis teens. The enormous wooden bodies toppled over and quaked the earth upon impact. Usagi couldn't believe her eyes. The wind style had no effect on his body. Its entirety was covered in a sleek layer of steel. Regardless of the odds, she charged forward.

Akua tried to pick herself up from the ground to her friend, but she knew she wouldn't make it in time, so she had to scream, "Usagi! Get dow—"

Skin was pierced and blood spilled. There was a spear of ice lodged into Usagi's back. The cold tip burrowed through her ribcage, slightly puncturing her lung. This jutsu was familiar to her, and a deep-set hatred mustered in her chest. It was what kept her from collapsing.

"Pew! Looks like we got a griever!" Yoshimura shouted with a makeshift finger gun pointed towards the girl. All she saw was a target on his forehead. She could no longer keep her anger at bay, it gnawed away at her being. This was the one responsible for the death of her best friend and something had to be done. Usagi pulled the ice from her back despite the injury she was supposed to have. Blood was draining into her lung in small amounts but she didn't seem to care. The death of the individual that stood in her line of sight was more important. Revenge filled the space in her veins where blood could not. He was standing almost within cutting distance when she leaped into the air after him, but she was suddenly restricted by a sickeningly solid thud.

Usagi's pupils shrunk to tiny dots in the center of her irises, and the head of Tanoshimi's kusarigama horizontally buried into her lower spine. Although Akua was unable to see, the blade was actually protruding through her core. Usagi's throat and mouth was filled with the thick taste of iron. The carmine liquid flowed independent of the rain that touched it. "NO!" Akua bawled. Tanoshimi yanked and the blade complied. All the flesh, and every organ on the right side of Usagi's lower abdomen made way for the weapon to exit her body. Akua watched as her friend's back hit the floor. The soil was being dyed a new color as she laid there. The sharingan was able to analyze what was going on within Usagi's body by the way her chakra flowed. At the moment, the wavelength of her friend's chakra signature was erratic, imitating the actions of her heart. She was going through shock.

Akua witnessed her comrade cover up the wound at her right side. She was still breathing, but barely. Usagi attempted to move her body, but it didn't seem like her legs were working anymore. Instead she, she laid still to keep her heart from beating any faster. The Mystical Palm technique, which she picked up from Sakura, was activated upon herself in an attempt to stabilize her body. There was no time for laying around anymore. Akua limped on her right leg now, refusing to stay down. She was fighting more than one battle, the internal conflict of pain as well as fending off the killers that surrounded her. The stress, anxiety, anger, every heart twisting emotion carved a piece out of her chest. Mud dripped in small lumps from her hoodie, but the entire article of clothing retained the grainy, chestnut color. When she became more aware of her body, she was gasping for oxygen. The altitude disadvantage was taking its toll again. Akua was stumbling forward to reach her teammate in need. She couldn't formulate a clear course of action once she got there, but being at her side was first and foremost. The path was blocked. "I told that acquaintance of yours to run away when she had the chance," Tanoshimi claimed. Akua noticed within her right palm was the handle of the sickle. The rain washed the blood stains from the curve of the blade. Akua's body moved with the luster of the undead, her right fist swung for the devil in front of her. Tanoshimi leaned to her left, allowing Akua's momentum to pull her forward. The Uchiha would of staggered into the floor if Tanoshimi didn't bend her torso with a blunt strike of the handle end of her sickle. She continued with that emotion and used the weapon to throw Akua back into Kenji's firm elbow to the spine. The Uchiha ricocheted in the direction from whence she came. She caught herself during that motion with her feet against the ground, but was greeted by a violent blow of Tanoshimi's left fist, followed up by the right. Both impacts rattled the flesh of her cheeks and drew blood from the inside of her mouth and nose. "We can't kill you yet," she waited as Akua dropped to her knees, splashing the mud around them. Her head was on a loose pivot about her neck. "You and your mother have something that belongs to us. Now be a good girl and stay down"—Tanoshimi's left leg lashed around into Akua's temple—"so we can take you home."

The force pushed Akua an entire 15 meters away from where she was. Her front side sunk into the mud again. Had she gone any further she would been stopped by the roots of one of the towering oak trees. The left side of her face was hidden underneath the saturated topsoil. Her right eye, the only one she could see through at the moment, couldn't process the images it saw. Her vision was a hazy blur. Her body was betraying her. She tried to tell it to get up, but it refused to respond. She was able to see Usagi's vitals diminishing from the way the color of her chakra dimmed. She was doing everything she could to save herself. Akua's numb face flinched and a glossy coating obscured her vision, becoming aware of the tears that streamed from her ducts and across the bridge of her bruised nosed. Her consciousness was fading away. " _Why can't I…_ " she pondered, " _why am I so powerless…_ " The sound of the rain pattering against the leaves and ground was less audible now. " _I can't protect anyone… why…_ "

" _ **Because you're WEAK…**_ " snarled an disembodied voice. There were two overlapping sounds that created it. One of them was the demonic, guttural speech of someone or something that seemed to be male, and the elegant murmurs of a female. Akua's eyes flashed open to what seemed to be an endless plane, marked by a violet-gradient atmosphere that faded into pitch black. Akua gazed into that void before turning her head to the side. The ripples of liquid panned out as she did. She was floating in a vast ocean, with no sign of anything in sight. Along the horizon was where the violet gradient was the brightest. The crystalline liquid she sifted in produced a dim light that naturally resonated from the surface. Akua sat up from her waterbed, but her skin and clothing weren't wet and it was surprisingly shallow. Her sandals were only submerged to the ankles. "Where am I… who are you… where are you..?" Akua looked to her left and right. " _ **Your friends are dying… because you're WEAK.**_ "

"Shut up!" Akua turned abruptly to figure out where the voice was coming from. There was no one in this plane with her. She began to feel that shivering cold feeling in her right shoulder again.

" _ **More of your friends will die if you stay like this…**_ "

"Stop it! Who are you!" she screamed.

" _ **You won't be able to protect your mother… you won't be able to save your brother… because you're weak.**_ "

"You're wrong..!" Akua's composure began to deteriorate. Tears flowed like rapids down her cheeks. Her body turned in every which way, splashing the water around in confusion.

" _ **You're weak because you're selfish.**_ "

"…What…what are you talking about…" She stopped moving, her body trembling from her sobbing.

" _ **You don't want to soil your hands with blood, just as long as you're okay, other people can die. Your friend was right about you… you're SELFISH!**_ "

"NO!" Akua screamed at the top of her lungs.

" _ **Then you want to protect those who matter to you…**_ " the mixed voice growled.

"I will protect them..!"

" _ **Even if it meant soiling those precious hands?**_ "

"Yes..!"

" _ **Even if it meant siphoning life…**_ "

"YES!" Her vehement voice echoed throughout the plane, rocking her entire upper body as she cried out with her eyes shut tight. The scream left her breathless and panting afterwards. Her bangs matted to her sweaty forehead with some hanging in her eyes. She didn't notice the chill of her shoulder had spread throughout her. A black, ink-like substance sprouted from a point in her neck that previously had crimson discoloration around a single dot, as if something punctured her. The black ink pooled out, more viscous than that of blood but more flexible in its motion with a mind of its own. Thin appendages formed from it and crawled along her neck, down her shoulder, and up the skin of her cheek. Complexion washed out to a pale white, and the veins that would have been hidden were now a visible gray through her flesh.

" _ **Good…now destroy your enemies.**_ "

Akua gave into the temptation. Her body dropped to its knees, displacing the liquid she stood in. The ink was accumulated along her arm in such and abundance that it dripped into the waters. Those fragments latched onto her legs to engulf her from the bottom up. The Uchiha reeled her head back for an inaudible shout. Her jaw was locked open. The vein like tendrils even hooked around into her mouth. Akua's body eventually became a black blob of a human being. The inke converged on her eyes, bleeding into her once white sclera and forced the activation of her beaming Sharingan.

Yoshimura stepped over Usagi's body and made his way over to Akua, who was face-planted into the mud. He didn't notice the paling of her skin, nor did he see her black veins. He had his coin in his right palm, ready to flip it. "Hey Tanoshimi, I think you knocked her out. She's valuable now ain't she?" he laughed. The boy's feet stopped a few inches away from her head. He lifted his right foot and stomped her cranium further into the ground. "That's where unlucky trash like you deserve to be," he said to her. His foot continued to grind her face in. Tanoshimi, who was a few meters away felt uneasy. She squinted at Akua's unconscious body. Something was off. There was a brush of chakra that only she could detect being suctioned in the direction of Akua's body. A switch flickered in her mind once she realized what was happening.

"Yoshimura, stop it…"

"For what?" he ignored her for a moment before complying, "Tsk, Kenji, come get grape-eyes." Yoshimura flipped his golden coin into the air. It made several rotations before reaching the top of it's flight. Tanoshimi's eyes widened at the spectacle. For the first time ever, the coin hit the floor, falling right past Yoshimura's hand. The boy himself was confused as to why he wasn't able to catch the coin. His arm wouldn't move, it was stunned. When he blinked, there was crackling, black and white light glowing from underneath his vision. The gold coin in the mud was energized by a tiny spark, but was soon drowned by several drops of thick garnet.

"You don't seem too lucky right now," announced the low voice of the female behind him. He experienced emotions that were foreign to him. The most prevalent was a fear that wrenched his soul from the shell of his body. Yoshimura's eyes widened in disbelief. He mustered the audacity to tilt his head down into the brilliance of the light. In between the flickering was the was a right hand that hung from from the left side of his chest, black with his blood. The muscle that pumped life through his veins didn't exist anymore. At that moment, the vicious, chirping frequency of lightning was audible to him. "Does it hurt?" The gleam of Akua's left Sharingan swallowed the color of her tomoe. Thunder roared and Yoshimura's chest was swallowed. The coughing up of his blood was dwarfed by the amount that splashed in full quarts from the opening of his chest. The words in his throat was clogged. Akua curled the fingers of her right hand around before clenching her fist. Without remorse, she ripped her arm out of the hole she bore and booted him into the awaiting mud.

There was a sudden comprehension of the events that occurred within a matter of three seconds. All Kenji and Tanoshimi saw was Yoshimura in the ground, and the black silhouette of what seemed to be Akua right near him. Akua's glowing crimson gaze snapped towards them, the only contrast amongst the clouded sky and the dark ambience it created. The black and white chakra she clenched in her right hand amplified under the shower of the rain. Kenji, who had just pieced what happened together, was compelled to act. The most apathetic of the team surprisingly felt rage when he realized what Akua had done. The mission didn't matter to him anymore. Within a blink, the sleek sheen of his silver clad body thudded in front of Akua's left, avoiding the death she wielded on the other side. His wheeling right leg was aimed for her skull. He was ready to punt her head across a hundred meter field. Yet, he was stopped by the lazy movement of the Akua's left palm. All the potential force vanished in an instant. His shin was as soft as cotton to her. Her arm extended out and pushed him open to the side. The right hand hooked around. Kenji tried to reach for it, but she was already crunching into the side of his torso, with her fingers, like a sheet of tin foil. He didn't have time to yell, Akua's arm already whipped his back through the entirety of an oak trunk within that instant. Wisps of sparking white lightning trailed in his wake. The length of the tree collapsed onto the field, splitting the distance between Tanoshimi and Akua.

Akua's attention was focused upon her now. But there was a throbbing in her chest. The Uchiha bent over, coughing up blood that was inked black. Her Raikiri technique died immediately. The sudden transformation was placing a great stress on her body. Her job wasn't finished, however. Tanoshimi caught a glimpse of her pale face, laced with solid black veins that converged from her right temple and cheek to the corner of her eye on that side. Tanoshimi could see the powerful chakra quelling, but it still was enough to peel the flesh from her bones just by standing near it, it seemed. Akua vanished. She was in the air now where Tanoshimi spotted her. The white haired girl wasted no time in casting her hand seals. "Fire Release…" she said, locking her fingers into the dragon seal. Her chest expanded as she inhaled and pursed her lips, " _Ancient Dragon-Fire Bomb..!_ " Akua's view of Tanoshimi was replaced by a wall of screeching inferno that illuminated the light deprived forest, vaporizing the rain that kissed it. The flames coiled and jaws unhinged to resemble that of an eastern dragon. It's maw spread to engulf Akua in its burning hell. And so it did. The Uchiha's body vanished within the stream, causing Tanoshimi to relax. However, her heart fell into her stomach when Akua's body burst from the fire. The Ryūketsu's jutsu was dispelled as she tunneled through. The scorched fragments of the crimson eyed beast's hoodie peeled from her body, revealing the black, fitted tank top she wore underneath. Her gloves seared away as well. The light from Akua's eyes awed Tanoshimi as she approached with her arms crossed in front of her. Her platinum irises were painted over by it. A heel dropped into the top of Tanoshimi's cranium, the impact knocking the vision from her eyes. As her head tilted down, Akua's right foot caved into her stomach, firing the girl through about a dozen oak trees, aligned along the two hundred meter path with a human sized chunk ripped out of them.

The chakra that stained the atmosphere was peeling away from the young girl who stood alone in the rain. Her left hand clenched her right shoulder and she fell to her right knee. The chilled sensation within her body was being forced back to where it originated. "Get out… of my head!" she grunted. There was a sub-hellish cry that echoed, independent of Akua's voice. The tight clench around her heart was unravelled, leaving her breathless after the episode. The girl gasped for oxygen during her state of wide-eyed shock. She was confused as to why the Genesis team was no longer around her, but when she turned to see Yoshimura in the ground, everything flooded in. Akua flung herself into a crawl towards the auburn girl that laid in the mud a few meters from the boy. She slid to her knees and searched Usagi with her eyes to figure out what she could do. Her hands pressed against her wound to help her stop the bleeding, but at this point Usagi's healing technique had lost its emerald luster. "Usagi, come on, get up," she begged, "get up..!" She attempted to pull the girl by her arm but she wouldn't budge. Akua took hold of her left and held it to her own chest, "Come on, don't die on me! Don't make me go back alone!" Akua squeezed her hand in hopes that she would do the same. She felt Usagi's grip, then nothing. Her fingers were simply touching her palm. Tears dropped onto Usagi's cheek and fell around her face. Her lips tried to form words but her throat was already sealed with blood. Her eyelids were heavy and narrowed, letting the tears that developed spill from the corners of her eyes. Akua watched her shake her head to the words she was trying convey. The concept of her survival was long gone. Usagi's left arm dropped into the mud, slipping from Akua's grasp. The last tear trailed down her temple. Her eyes were void of any light, and her eyelids no longer narrowed, left half open. The only activity was the weeping of the heavens that washed the stains from her face.

Akua sat back against her legs. Her Sharingan tapered back to her original violet iris. The girl gazed directly into the sky, peering through her messy bangs. Her facial expression devolved from melancholy to apathy. Her head hung down to stare into her palms. She couldn't recognize the color of her skin as her own.

The shuffling of an individual was picked up by her ears. Yoshimura turned over to his back, hanging on by a thread. He tried to freeze the gaping hole Akua left, but he couldn't knead his chakra. Akua rose from her knees, limping on her right leg, away from Usagi's corpse. Although in an inverted view, Yoshimura was able to see her kneeling above him. The girl pulled her ninjato from his waist and wielded it in both hands. He gazed up into the eyes he teased for years. It was the first time he acknowledge something colder than the icy ninjutsu he so praised. Then there was nothing. The hand he tried to freeze his chest with no longer functioned. Akua pulled the steel from the center of his forehead dragging out soft-tissue matter and a fresh crimson fountain. She reached to his pouch and withdrew a navy blue scroll. The kanji for earth was printed upon it.

* * *

Within half an hour the rain had stopped. Kenji collapsed to his hands and knees right before Tanoshimi's body. She laid on her side with a crumbling shield of solid blood that she manifested on her back. Without it, she wouldn't have survived the devastating attack. Kenji pulled her unconscious body over his shoulder and got as far away from the Uchiha girl he left behind as possible.

Akua, on the other hand, limped the rest of the way through the Cloudburst island. She discovered the location of the Thunder Gate Tower due to the way the sky's lightning was drawn to it. She travelled non-stop for three straight hours, collecting only two other things along the way. Of course, the girl came across other genin on her way to the tower, but the aura she gave off made everyone, even the man-eating creatures avoid her. The rest of the road was travelled unscathed.

The entrance to the tower was a push away. Awaiting on the other side of the designated door for her team, was Sakura. She had an enthusiastic grin on her face when the door opened. But that smile flattened out when only Akua dragged her way into the room. Dirt trailed in behind her, and a muddy red dripped from the tip of her ninjato. "…Hey… where are the other two..?" Sakura was asking a pointless question she already knew the answer to the moment Akua stepped into the room alone. Her student approached her with groggy steps, stopping a two feet away. The ninjato was sheathed and she reached into her ninja pouch. Akua withdrew a pair of heaven and earth scrolls, placing them in Sakura's left hand. In her right hand, she placed were two other black scrolls. Akua limped around her sensei to head further into the tower. Sakura hung her head, pink bangs hiding the weakness in her eyes. A tear trickled down her cheek when she examined the two black scrolls. Her left arm hung to her side, letting the heaven and earth hit the floor and roll around. Written in blood on the first black scroll were the characters for _Yashiro_. On the other, _Usagi_.

 **A/N: And thus, the brutal, second exams have come to a close for Akua. For those of you that skipped the last half due to violence, the exams resulted in the deaths of both Usagi and Yoshimura (as well as Yashiro which you should have read).**

 **Next chapter will mark the end of the Chunin Exams. After chapter 10 will be a mini-arc to lead into the next major portion of the story.**

 **Despite how depressing this might have been, I hope I was able to tug a couple of your heart strings.**

 **I always appreciate any sort of feedback, seeing your opinions really helps me to keep writing. Fav/Follow/Review, until next time.**


	10. Chunin Exams Part 5

**Here it is, the last installment of the Chunin Exams arc. This chapter has quite a few revelations so I suggest reading carefully.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **Ch 10**

 **Chunin Exams Part 5**

Normally, the vibrant forests directly around Konoha were a biome teeming with life. During this time of year, however, it did not exactly live up to those expectations. Rather, it garnered a different reverence. Each tree and every plant below their heights possessed their own fresh, thick blanket of snow. White was now the defining feature of the entire landscape. The ridges of tree bark were laced with the soft crystals, and they had a frosty tint to their bodies. Even roots nestled deeply into ground felt a slight chill, the surface packed high with at least twelve inches of the frozen rain. The precipitation spread far and wide, and as the brisk winter winds pulled through the trees, white crystal mists danced from the snowy surfaces. Blessing the people of Konoha this year, they would have the white Rinne Festival that they so desired. It was a beautiful sight to behold, but it didn't seem to stir Karin Uzumaki's emotion's much.

The red-haired woman minded her own business as usual, commuting through the winter terrain. The forest paths, unlike the deeper interiors, were paved away so that it was easier to travel. She didn't have to drag her feet through a foot of snow. The white ground still crunched underneath the soles of her sandals, though. Karin sported a tan trench coat that extended to her hips with a belt that buckled at her waist. Underneath her black shorts were black stockings along her legs to seal in warmth. Her regular heeled shinobi sandals were her choice of footwear. Corresponding with the season, she had a black, wool scarf that was wrapped around her neck and tucked into her coat. Her crimson hair strands were tucked beneath the scarf as well. The last accessory she carried was her satchel, the one she had brought all the way from Kusagakure. Where she was headed was quite a mystery up until now, but there were people who were aware of her whereabouts.

Karin was on her way to the location she consistently travelled to whenever she had business outside of Konoha and had been going there ever since she had arrived within the city. Her original reason for wanting to go also changed almost as soon as she arrived. Moreover, every time she went, there was someone that decided to follow her. Able to detect them with her finely tuned sensory ability, the individual's presence kept a safe distance from her during the trip, but always seemed to halt when she arrived. They didn't have any intention of following her further, but they consistently made sure that she travelled back to Konoha as well. This time, they steadily approached her as she walked along the trail and were getting a little too close.

Karin came to an abrupt stop. Four golden chakra chains with a glimmering ethereal glow rattled from her back and converged toward a single direction within the forest, slamming through the crystalline structures of frozen branches and releasing a flurry of white powder. The next moment, her chains reeled back with someone entangled. Their body was slammed into the ground and dragged back through the carnage and a couple feet of snow before Karin spoke. "One of Naruto's ANBU, huh… and he's a kid, I'm not impressed."

"You're a very harsh individual, Uzumaki-san," the boy greeted, lifting his face from the cold surface, "now I see why Hokage-sama instructed me to keep my distance." He had a very reverent, and polite demeanor about him, one that Karin wasn't expecting for one of the Black Ops.

"Yea, yea, who are you, and why did you think you could follow me without my noticing?"

"With all do respect, ma'am, if didn't want you to know I was there, you wouldn't know."

"Is that so, little boy?" And with that, even though she was staring directly at him, the boy's presence completely vanished. His chakra was no longer detectable, as if it had just been swept away by a gust of wind. Karin's eyes narrowed. " _The chakra suppression jutsu huh._ "

"My name is Hishiro. Like you've already noticed, I've been assigned to monitor you. However, it's not as a babysitter, but as a bodyguard for when you leave the village."

"And what makes Naruto think I need that?"

"Hokage-sama is a very caring and cautious person. He won't take any chances when it comes to protecting people. You also have an entire country after your head, I wouldn't be so carefree, ma'am."

Karin folded her arms. He was right after all. "Pft, whatever. Is there something that you want? I have somewhere to be."

Hishiro used his legs to maneuver himself from his flat position against the ground and stand on his feet. The chains bound his arms to his body and wrapped tightly from his shoulders to his hips. Only part of his outfit could be seen. He wore black combat-shinobi pants and sandals that clung to his legs, wrapping all the way up to his calves to match. Underneath the glowing chains seemed to be the standard gray flak jacket that ANBU shinobi used to wear, they'd recently switched to a new style. On top of that was a worn out red scarf that brandished it's split ends behind him. His mask covered only half of his face, extending down to his nose, and had a shinier finish than the old porcelain masks. Lastly, he had black hair tied into a short ponytail with flecks of snow caught in it. Bangs framed his face and curtained where his forehead would show. "Yes, I have a message to deliver to you."

"What is it?"

"It's your daughter. She's been through some sort of trauma recently via the Chunin Exams she was taking part in. Hokage-sama is heading there tomorrow morning and insisted that you be aware and visit her."

The cold finally got to her. Karin was frozen in place aside from her trembling pupils. The chains unravelled and released Hishiro, receding into her back. Her fist clenched and shut her eyes, " _Tsk, damn it Akua._ " Karin sighed and opened her eyes to gaze into the dim blue sky. "Alright. Tell him I'll be there."

"Excellent! I'm sure he'd be happy to hear. But I must continue to escort you first."

"Oh boy…" she rolled her eyes.

Karin arrived at her destination. Hishiro, like usual, kept his distance from the area while she entered. She found herself shrouded by shadow as she became displaced from the light, traveling deeper into the cave entrance. The woman stopped before a sealed steel door. To the right was a glass panel on the wall, framed by the same metal material, where she placed her palm. A horizontal bar of digital blue scanned down the contours of her hand and a match was made. The mechanisms unlocked and the heavy, reinforced steel door slid to the left. Karin stepped in and continued down the hall as it returned to shut behind her.

The walls beyond the door were of a more standard, rectangular construction design rather than the natural cave structure. Every meter, there was a snake-styled torch light that illuminated the ominous compound. Karin's pace produced an echo with each step that she took. Soon, she arrived at the end of the hall and turned left. Walking another minute, she approached an open doorway to her left. She entered, knowing exactly where she wanted to go in this quiet labyrinth. The woman sighed and dropped her satchel onto the floor as soon as she stepped in. The floor had a very pale, gray-lavender tiling, and the walls were an orange rectangular stone-tile pattern. To the right as one would walk in was shelves and cupboards of different shapes and sizes, all filled with notebooks, textbooks, jars of chemicals and other substances. Further along that wall was a desk with a short, rolling stool with a black cushioned seat. The desk had its own set of drawers, a file cabinet underneath it towards its right end and a trash can next to it. The desktop had lab papers, petri-dishes, and chemical bottles along with a unique syringe next to a high-powered microscope. There were shelves above the desk with empty and filled beakers, with liquid substances of varying colors. To the left was a lone mattress to sleep on with a more casual drawer sitting next to it. There was a table with experimental equipment on the side that clung to the wall and circled around to connect to the desk on the far end of the room. Groups of wires ran down the far wall behind the desk to power the room. It was quite the experimental laboratory, but a small one at that.

Karin sat on the stool and rolled herself over to the other desk. There, she faced the lab computer. The Uzumaki woman hunched over with her left elbow on the desk and reached to turn on the monitor. The bright screen light flashed on, able to further lighten the dark. When the programs started to open, and the computer became fully operational, she went straight to work.

The individual that stood in the doorway knew that she didn't like to be disturbed while she was at work, but proceeded to do so anyway. "You know, Orochimaru," Karin called without turning to look, "I don't like when people barge in unannounced."

"Oh my, you're as perceptive as ever," the infamous sannin said in his regular sly tone, "I couldn't help but be a little delighted to see you after so long."

"You're here for something obviously, what is it?" Karin asked, clicking her mouse several times then rolling around to her closest shelf to retrieve a certain notebook.

"I'm simply curious. Your return to the Land of Fire a few weeks ago was so sudden and I've been so busy I keep forgetting to ask you whether or not you still planned to k—"

"Why does any of that matter to you anymore, Orochimaru?" Karin scribbled in her notebook at the computer desk.

"Your conflict still interests me, is all." He was leaned up against the frame of the doorway now.

Karin hesitated before she answered his question, "No, I don't. I've had a change of heart recently and the work I've been doing here have also strayed from those original plans."

"Was it the little girl?"

Karin glared at the serpentine-featured man, "…How did you…"

"You're not that difficult a person for me to dissect, Karin."—Orochimaru smiled—"I had a feeling you would change your mind. You always had that sort of soft spot no matter how much you tried to cover it up."

"You disgust me."

Orochimaru chuckled, "So what are you going to do now? You've made it all the way out here, yet you have Kusagakure on your tail. Suigetsu has informed me you've been here quite a few times recently as well. Care to tell?"

Karin turned back to face her computer, "I'm going to undo the damage I've potentially done to her."

"Oh…I see. You think it's possible? It didn't seem as such through the notes you provided me."

"Of course it is…there has to be…" The woman tightened her grip on her pen. "There's still plenty that even you don't know."

"And what will you do about the other one?"

"Find him, of course," Karin replied.

Orochimaru was satisfied with their conversation, exemplified by his calm expression and the grin on upon his face. It was true that there was indeed information that he wasn't aware of, but that was not critical for him at the moment. He chuckled again, "Well Karin, I will leave you to your work. The best of wishes extend out to you in your endeavours." The man turned away from Karin, waving as he exited the doorway.

"Wait," Karin called, "You said you were interested in my conflict. You would let me go through with _that_ original plan for that reason alone?"

"Just consider me a bystander in that situation," he said before disappearing around the doorway. His unclear response ticked Karin off, but such an enigmatic response was to be expected from the likes of Orochimaru. She could never understand what was going through his head. Perhaps no one could except for himself.

* * *

"Say, 'ah' for me."

Akua complied without a sound, opening her mouth and allowing Sakura to examine her throat. It was clear of damage and or obstruction. The light flashed inside of it was shut off. That was the beginning of the girl's morning treatment. Akua had been bedridden ever since she completed the second exams after only 24 hours. The remaining two days were spent in the infirmary of the Thunder Gate Tower. There she received a congratulatory remark on her _success_ during the test along with information about the final portion of the entire Chunin Exams. Each of the 15 contestants that remained would be given exactly one month to prepare for the tournament to be held on January 31st. Due to the turmoil that Akua faced and the uneven number of contestants, she was pardoned from the first round at the end of the bracket. The next pair of days were spent in Kumogakure's largest hospital. It was here that Akua received advanced treatment for her debilitating injuries, none of which were fatal.

Akua suffered from a minor concussion due to direct trauma to the head via the temple. The girl had a discolored bruise on her left temple as proof, hidden by her black hair. She had bruises on her cheeks as well as a slightly swollen bottom lip. Bandages were wrapped around her stomach underneath the turquoise hospital gown she wore to cover up the tears in her skin. Two bruised disks ached towards the center of her back, and her entire left leg under the knee was set in a solid cast. Sakura was her primary physician, as she was a more experienced and effective medical ninja than anyone within that hospital. However, her expertise wasn't enough to pull Akua through. She needed the entire month to fully recuperate.

The rest of Sakura's treatment of her student consisted of assessing the current magnitude of her concussion, providing Mystic Palm therapy to bruises, and an extensive procedure of medical ninjutsu to accelerate to repairing of her tibia and fibula. Sakura excelled in Akua's physical condition, but there was little that she alone could do about the psychological and emotional damage that the child endured. The girl, ever since that dreadful Friday afternoon about four days prior, had spoken only six consecutive words: I want to see my mother. There was no communication between the nurses or Sakura other than that sentence. Her meals were hardly touched, and if so, eaten in silence. Akua spent her two days in the hospital so far staring into her palms which she had open on her lap. Despite how much the caretakers stressed her need to sleep, she payed little attention to them and hadn't shut her eyes since the end of the second exam. The heavy bags of insomnia were prominent.

Sakura was worried for the child's condition. Even though she tried her best to heal, in reality, it was not doing much. It was like Akua's body rejected her, or that she didn't want to be treated at all. The pink haired woman ended the medical ninjutsu treatment. "…Does your leg feel any better?" she asked.

No response.

Sakura sighed in defeat. She reached over to her belongings and got ready to leave the girl in peace. It was clear that Akua wanted to be left alone. One could only wonder what happened to her out in that wilderness, and it was a stab in Sakura's chest that her own student wasn't willing to open up to her. This caused her to question her ability and effectiveness as a jonin squad leader. Was she able to do this any longer? In her mind, it was not Akua who had failed Team 5, it was herself. Although this had been their third run of the exam in team history under her supervision, each of them were drastically unsuccessful. Usagi and Yashiro in the past, along with their old partner, barely escaped those exams with their lives. Sakura was aware that it might be too much for the two, especially now with the rift in her team, but she wanted to believe in them. She wanted to trust in their abilities, but that trust and nonchalance lead to their tragic deaths. Sakura wished desperately for someone to tell her it wasn't her fault, but she knew that even if that were the case, she would still feel responsible for their lives. She was the one that would have to inform the parents that their children would not come home to them. Nothing could prepare her for that. Such were the thoughts that plagued the woman's mind as she checked Akua's IV fluid. After making sure everything was in place for her departure, she reached into her bag. "…I know that…I'm probably the last person that you want to talk to, and to be honest as your sensei, I don't even know what I would say to you. It's pitiful and awful of me that I don't even know the slightest thing about you to help…"—She withdrew her hand from the bag—"but I did find this in your room at our hotel, I thought that you would want it…" It was Akua's necklace, gifted to her by Boruto.

Akua turned her head, her neck was stiff, almost stuck in place. Her eyes drifted down to the amethyst jewel that sparkled even though it was shrouded by her shadow. The accessory was held out to her for her taking, but all she did was stare. It seemed to Sakura that she wasn't even going to accept that from her. Just as she began to place the necklace on Akua's bedside table, she caught something in the corner of her eyes. It was a tear. The girl hadn't taken her eye off the object, and because if it, fluid shed from her right eyelid. It was the first emotional response she had displayed in four days. Sakura was astounded at the effect the necklace had, even more so because Akua moved her arm to reach for it. This was the only voluntary motion anyone had seen from her during that same period of time. When Sakura lowered the jewel into her palm, the girl flinched from the initial contact, as if the birthstone stung her skin. The tears continued to stream from her right eye. Akua reach her palm out a second time. Her sensei was slower this time, able to fully transfer the necklace into her grasp. The young girl's timid fingers closed around it then clenched. The grasped jewel was pulled to her heart and she hung her concussed head over it. The droplets broke over her clenched fist and her body jolted as she wept.

* * *

Every female nurse and patient that was in the hallway stopped everything that they were doing and ogled the man that marched through it. He was combined by a pair of Konoha ANBU Black Ops shinobi that walked at either side next to him as bodyguards, although it was highly unnecessary for him. There were the few young women that drooled at his appearance and status. The short, spiky blonde hair and deep ocean blue eyes that the man possessed were unmistakeable. The white, collared cape, trimmed with a red flame design at the edges, fluttered behind him while he approached his destination. Everyone seemed to clear the path for the individual, not wanting to get in his way. Most were confused as to why he was there in the first place. Nevertheless, they still were honored to be blessed with his presence that day. The man drew nearer to his intended location when a woman a few doors down the hall exited one of them on the left. She seemed surprised and immediately excited afterwards to see him there. Her cherry blossom locks bounced as she greeted him, "Naruto!"

The Seventh Hokage was baffled by her informal acknowledgement and fell to a whisper, "Sakura…you can't call me that here." The embarrassment was apparent in his facial expression. "This this still counts as work, ya know," he whined.

"Oh please, you could be the king of the world and you'll still be the same old goofy kid to me, Naruto," she smiled, punching the man. The woman laughed as he flailed and rubbed his left his left arm. He was as wimpy as she remembered him. He was only like this around his close friends though.

"Hmph!" He collected himself, "Is this Akua's room?"

Sakura's mood shifted. It transitioned from amusement to fret, but then gentle reassurance as she closed and reopened her eyes. "Yes, she's in there right now sound asleep. DON'T wake her up…I was finally able to get her to go to sleep at a few days. She's really beat up…"

"Tsk! Damn it…I can't believe this happened, it can't be true right…your team…"

Sakura looked to the floor, unable to look her friend in the eyes, "It is… I take full res—"

"Don't you dare," he interrupted, placing both hands firmly on her shoulders. She was forced to face him now, his irises demanding undivided attention. "This isn't your fault. If anything, it's mine for authorizing their participation."

"Look…I knew you'd try to put the blame on yourself, but there's no use in that, Naruto." She donned that fake smile, the one that disgusted him all those years ago. It shattered his attempt at relief.

"But Sakura…"

She removed his hands from her shoulder. "Thank you for letting me be a leader, but I'm starting to think I'm not cut out for it." She stepped around the Hokage and his anbu.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned.

"I'll see you later, Naruto," she replied, continuing down the hallway without looking back. She didn't want him to see the tears she cried.

Naruto reached his hand out to her, but lowered it before it was completely extended. He watched as she disappeared down the hall and sighed.

The Hokage found himself sitting in a chair perpendicular to the the side of Akua's bed within her room. His ANBU guards were outside, keeping watch at the door. The girl was sound asleep before him, resting peacefully. He noticed the bright, crystalline-violet gleam of her pendant. It was quite the jewel, reminding him of the necklace that the Fifth Hokage entrusted him with. He was envious of the child since he no longer had it. It was the first time that he'd seen her wear it. The thought ran through his mind, perhaps she'd obtained it while she was here? Maybe, but he had a better inquiry that developed afterwards with a devious grin. Naruto pulled out his cellphone and began to text. He sent a message to his wife and asked if they'd arrived yet. About a minute later she replied that they would be at the hospital within an hour. Boruto and Himawari were with her. He was most interested about Boruto making the trip. He couldn't wait to tease his son. It was his way of distracting the boy. Boruto was annoyed that he had travelled ahead of them with his own personal convoy. The truth was that Naruto was in Kumogakure for a meeting with the Raikage. Though, he would have visited Akua anyway had he not been required to attend the meeting. He could tell that his own son was growing impatient with due to his work. It was just another problem on his desk that he had to deal with.

Naruto witnessed the young girl stir. The sensing of his strong presence cut her slumber short to only three hours and it was almost noon. The Hokage became worried when she started to move her limbs. He knew he wasn't supposed to wake her. The man tried to hush her back to sleep, but it was too late. Her heavy eyelids revealed her violet eyes. Naruto just sat back and waited for the inevitable. "H-Hokage-sama…" she uttered groggily. He deduced that she wasn't expecting him to be in her hospital room. It was all a shock for her. The girl's head shifted against her pillow to the right so that she could look at him.

"I'm sorry for waking you up," he apologized, scratching the back of his head.

"Why did you come…surely you have more important things to attend to than to come all the way out here just for me." She turned her head all the way around to the left, flustered that he was present before her.

"Still as sharp as ever huh?" he praised, "you're half right, I did have something to do, but I wouldn't consider it more important than making sure you were safe, ya know. Even if I didn't have other business here, I would have came. Someone's gotta keep an eye on you."

"I don't deserve this," she disclaimed, using the back of her right palm to rub at her hidden face.

"It's my duty as Hokage to ensure the wellbeing of all citizens of Konoha and the Land of Fire. So, will you let me help you?"

Akua pivoted her head again to see him, then stared into the ceiling. Naruto took that as a sign on compliance with his wishes. He was getting somewhere unlike the others before him. The slight nod of her head solidified this.

"I'll start with this, what sort of help have you received so far?"

"Sakura-Sensei has been tending to my injuries since that day. I refused to let any of the other nurses touch me. They also tried to send in a psychotherapist but I also refused to talk to anyone. I shut myself away…"—she touched the gem over her heart—"…but sensei made me feel better for a little bit."

"Is that necklace the reason..?"

"Yea…I suppose so. Sensei brought it to me earlier."

"So she's the one that got it for you?"

"No, that was actually Boruto…he gave it to me before I left, it was his gift to me for the Rinne Festival."

"Oh…"—the corners of his mouth curled—"that's very sweet of him, Akua. Ya know, I think it's a sign. I can tell he's fond of you. He's probably dying to see you right now too."

"No…I can't…he-he'll hate me…"

"What do you mean? There's no way…"

"I'm… a murderer."

Naruto was horrified by the way her eyes widened and froze in place. The room fell chill for a moment before Akua's solid, aimless stare into nothing broke down. Uncontrollable rivers of tear fluid flooded her ducts and poured onto her cheeks. The girl turned her entire body to the left while she quietly sobbed so Naruto didn't have to see her in such a pitiful state.

"Akua…what happened during those exams..?"

"My team…murdered. It was kusagakure…they're disguised as Ame…the genesis… Tanoshimi… Yoshimu-… Yashiro… U-Usagi…" she rambled on.

"Wait, slow down," he insisted, trying to piece together her words, sifting through things he didn't know and things that he already knew. "Genesis and Kusagakure involved in this…Akua I need you to be a bit clearer for me, will ya?"

The girl's sobbing stopped. She shifted to her back again and fixed her gaze on the rotating ceiling fan. "Yashiro and Usagi were killed. Genesis ninja…Kenji, Yoshimura, and Tanoshimi. It was them." Akua pressed down on a button that was located on the module next to her bed. Her index finger applied pressure and the top end of the mattress inclined until it was at 45 degree angle of her liking. She sighed, staring down into her covered lap, "Boruto made me promise that I wouldn't kill anyone… I told him that I'd never killed anyone before and that I would never do it… but I…"

"You what…"

"I killed him, Yoshimura," she started with the beginnings of a devilish smirk growing, "he murdered Yashiro… and he led Usagi to her death. I blacked out… and when I came to, he was dead. Then I remembered. It was me. I pierced his wretched heart with Raikiri…"—her head hung and her bangs shadowed her eyes—"…The other two got away but…Yoshimura was still alive at that point." The smirk was prominent now. "So I went over… and repaid what him for what he did… I buried my sword into his skull in cold blood." Akua was staring into her right palm now. It was the one she used to impale Yoshimura. Her smirk faded, and she turned her head to see Naruto. He witnessed the several deep, blending crimsons of her Sharingan for the first time. They were eyes filled with trauma and agony. There was a single tear that trickled down from the corner of her right eye to the middle of her cheek. Nevertheless, despite the perils that gave her eyes such an appearance, it was beautiful all the same for all the wrong reasons. In fact, Naruto would say that the potent beauty Sasuke's own eyes paled in comparison.

"A-Akua…" he called out, worried for her composure.

"Hokage-sama…I…hate myself. The guilt inside… is tearing me in two. I know that I betrayed Boruto's trust…but on the other hand, I feel guilty because"—her were solid and trembled—"when I killed him…when I finally felt his life vanish… Hokage-sama, tell me why."

"Tell you what..?"

"Tell me why… why did it feel good?"

Naruto gulped down. His stomach churned. He didn't know the answer to that question and he was appalled that she would ever ask that. It was the last thing he expected from her. The room fell silent after her question. All they could do was look at each other until Akua's Sharingan faded and she turned back to face her lap.

"…May I ask you something else," she managed to break the mute spell.

Naruto didn't respond to her. He was still fixated on her early question, and it bounced around within his mind, haunting to no end. " _She said…she felt good…_ " he asked himself, " _But why, I don't understand…_ " He scavenged his brain for the ideal, fairytale answer, but frankly there was none. The reality was too vivid. When he heard about what happened to Team 5, he had a feeling that Akua would not be the same afterwards. It was a dark speculation, but he did not intend for it to be true. Now he could see that her psyche was damaged. There was a screw that was coming undone.

Akua continued, "Back at my birthday party, I saw you outside with my mom. You were both talking, and I could tell by the expression on your face that she told you something unpleasant. What did she tell you?"

Naruto frowned and his eyebrows lowered in clear frustration. "I think that your mother should be the one to tell you that," he replied, shutting his eyes and let out a breath while he leaned back into his chair.

"Will she be here?"

Naruto nodded.

"And my father. Will he be coming to see me?"

"I'm afraid I wasn't able to get a hold of him. I apologize," said the Hokage, hanging his head.

"I see. Thank you for trying at least," she responded, her tone soft and solemn. It was at that moment when the sound of knob mechanisms clicked and the room door pushed open. Both individuals in the room hand their eyes focused on the entrance to see who interrupted them. Much to both of their expectations, in stepped a red-haired Uzumaki woman with her signature, dark brown glasses.

* * *

At just about half an hour past noon, Akua's eyes followed her mother as she entered. The groggy effects of travel were taking their toll on the woman. Karin glanced at the Hokage for a moment then turned her attention to her injured daughter. She stepped to Akua's bedside, pulled a chair underneath herself and sat down. Naruto vaulted himself up from his seat and decided leave them alone, tiptoeing out of the room. The young girl watched the door shut, then turned to the hallway window to see a familiar, young blonde boy. Karin noticed that her daughter's attention was divided, thus turning around to see what she was looking at. There was a boy outside that seemed to be bickering with the Hokage, as if demanding to enter. Both females wished to be alone however, especially Akua, who didn't think she was prepared to face him yet. Akua caught a glimpse of Boruto's eyes before he was pulled out of her view. It made her guilt stifle the beating of her heart. Alas, it was just the two females eye to eye.

Karin leaned from her chair and reached forward with her left hand. Her fingers glided through Akua's immaculate, raven-black hair and her palm caressed her rough, bruised cheek. The worry, fret and pain etched into the woman's face brought tears to her own eyes that fell underneath her glasses. It was the most motherly expression Akua had ever seen. "I don't think you understand how much my heart aches to see you like this," she started, "to see you so beaten up… to know that I'm the one responsible for your pain… to know that if I had made better decisions, you and your brother could have lived a happier life in Konoha… to know that if not for me, you friends would still be here. There are plenty of things in this life that I regret, but my children are not one of them."

"M-Mom—"

Within a moment Akua found herself being weighted down by the embrace of her mother. The woman's arms were wrapped around her neck, and her forehead was buried in her shoulder. Even in a hospital bed, Akua couldn't feel more comfortable. The girl raised her arms around her mother and returned her affection, overwhelmed by the amount of love that she was absorbing. "I'm not keeping any secrets from you anymore, if there's anything that you wish to know, I will answer." Karin sat back into her chair and pulled it closer to her daughter's side.

"Mom, please don't carry that burden all by yourself. Let me share it if not take it all upon my own shoulders. I deserve it."

"No, you don't, not from the moment you were born, you didn't deserve the hell I put you through, and continue to put you through."

"What do you mean…continue?"

Karin exhaled, but never took away her eye contact. "The item I stole from Kusagakure…"—Karin's palm slided down towards that same cold area in between the right side of Akua's neck and shoulder—"…that night when I pulled you from your bed, I placed it within you. Have you felt it yet?"

Akua's being froze when images from the past supplemented her memory. In that moment, her consciousness zoomed into her psyche where she was immediately chased out by the cold, wailing screams of whatever resided. She was now self-aware of her stiffness. The tiny veins in her sclerae were visible now. She couldn't see anything until she felt herself blink, and found her mother awaiting her answer.

"Is that what… how did you…" She was at a loss of words.

Karin reached into her bag and withdrew a relatively large syringe with a capsule of about eight inches in length and two inches in diameter. A long, four inch needle topped it off, the likes of which made Akua shiver. "A few days after the Fourth Great Shinobi War, when everyone was released from the confines of a powerful genjutsu called the Infinite Tsukuyomi, there were shinobi from different nations that surveyed the area and collected corpses. But there was one nation there for a different purpose. Kusagakure was in search of Madara Uchiha's body, something that they viewed as valuable, a way to get a foothold in the ninja world. They were unsuccessful in that venture, the discovered something that was probably more priceless. It was an odd, black substance whose composition was a mystery."

Akua swallowed her anxiety as her mother told her story.

"They decided to take it back to their country to discover what it is they'd found. Eventually, it was deduced that the wild, belligerent black mass that they had kept in a Kusagakure lab was a piece of a being called Black Zetsu. This being is said to have 'orchestrated the history of shinobi' for 1000 years, like a puppeteer. He caused the war, and a piece of him seemed to have escaped demise during the final, decisive battle. Since Naruto was cited to be the one who disposed of him, it's possible that a piece of Black Zetsu escaped upon him."

The girl was steadily trying to comprehend everything.

"Once they realized what they had found, the knew they hit some sort of jackpot. They denied any sort of connection with the continued existence of Black Zetsu and kept their possession of him secret. However, through my connections to the city, I was able to figure out he was there. I spent a few years after the war in an attempt to break through their lies and decipher what it was they were trying to do. I learned that they wanted to use his essence, reverse engineer his chakra-based makeup, and synthesis some sort of weapon for the use of the country. It most likely for the purpose of mass production, and then marketing to other nations in order to gain monetary and military power. However, at that time, they were severely above themselves. They didn't have the technology to do so. It was around the time before the moon crisis when they began to develop 'chakra-tech'. This innovation was what sparked the technological revolution, but they don't get much credit for it.

"Chakra-tech…moon… what was the moon crisis?"

"The moon threatened to crash into the earth about a decade ago. However it was stopped by the Seventh Hokage, who was still a regular shinobi at the time, and a group of his friends."

"If that happened that long ago… how did I… what does this Black Zetsu have to do with me… why does it have anything to do with me…"

Karin tilted her head down to the point where light from the window on Akua's left refracted off the lense of her glasses and obscured the view of her eyes. "I…I was basically a self appointed, undercover agent in Kusagakure. I didn't actually live there at the time. But, before the crisis of the moon… I was with your father. He was on some sort of hiatus from Konoha to repent for his past sins. We were friends, and we were young, so we went out one night just to relax. We had a few drinks, and he told me that he loved me… I didn't realize that it was just his liquor talking at the time even though I was fairly sober(it takes a lot to intoxicate an Uzumaki). And that night I let him do what he wanted, something I felt that I deserved after wanting to be by his side for so long. But none of it was real. He didn't acknowledge me afterwards, or what he had done. We went back to how we were before that night. Little did I know, just one night was all it would take. I wasn't even aware until about seven-eight weeks after that day, I was able to sense two heartbeats other than mine. I didn't know how to feel. I was afraid at first, but then I became glad. It was the happiest moment of my life to date, knowing that I was pregnant with you and your brother. In my mind I thought, finally a reason for Sasuke to see me as more than just some acquaintance. I had high hopes and I tried to contact several times but I couldn't. He was nowhere to be found and I didn't want anyone to know I was carrying twins. So I isolated myself until you were both born."

By knowing the course of current events—the fact that she has a half sister—Akua could predict where her mother was going with the story, but it was still quite confusing.

"A couple months after your first birthday, I learned that Sasuke returned to Konoha. I wanted to see him immediately. I left you both with one of my close friends and travelled to meet him, just as elated as when I realized I was pregnant. I discovered that he was on a mission with a pregnant woman named Sakura."

Akua noticed her mother's fist clench. The memories were bringing back buried feelings.

"I joined them, oblivious to what was going on. Eventually that woman went into labor. We couldn't leave her behind of course, so we took a detour to a secret…location outside of Konoha," she steered around telling her about Orochimaru, she didn't want the possibility of Akua associating with him. "I helped the woman give birth to a baby girl. The look on her face reminded me of myself. But within that atmosphere of happinesses, despite how close in proximity I was to the two people in that room, I realized how far away I was. That child was Sarada. Their daughter. I don't think there are words to describe the intensity… the magnitude of my heartache, the betrayal, the hate, the anger that I felt. And I kept it all sealed away with a smile, as if I was happy for them too. But in reality, I despised them. I despised Sasuke for having his way with me and tossing me aside, marrying that woman, starting a family with her while I sat at home with you two. And I didn't say a thing to him. He didn't deserve to know about you two. Because in time, I thought that it wouldn't matter. I forgave him when he left me for dead, almost killing me in cold blood before the war. But at that point I had enough. And I decided that I was going to kill him."

"…Is that why I am the way I am now…" Akua muttered, with her quivering lip.

"Yes," Karin voiced her guilt, "my plan was to use you both as tools for my revenge. I moved into Kusagakure with you two around the time an organization called _Ethuriel_ became associated with them. They were the ones who brought the Genesis Program to the country, and I immediately allowed them to draft you and Senshi. I needed you two to be as strong as possible if you were going to kill Sasuke, and I knew I couldn't do it myself. But I needed something that would tip the scales. Therefore, I devoted myself to the weaponization of Black Zetsu. I joined the scientists involved and helped develop breakthrough technology that allowed us to make full use of his origin abilities."

"If that was you plan…why did you leave?"

"Kusagakure was becoming dangerous and Ethuriel's motives were surfacing. They were targeting individuals of the specific Ōtsutsuki descent for whatever reason. That included me and you two, Uzumaki and Uchiha. I tried my best for years to hide our identities but they eventually became suspicious of us. Therefore, I devised a plan for our escape. I raided the secret, underground labs, collected all existing prototype versions of the weaponized Zetsu, which we called _Yabune's Serum_ or _Solution Z_. Then disposed of all research notes, experimental materials, and erased all traces of the weapon. I didn't leave a single thing behind for them. By the time they discovered what I had done, I had already put all of the serum in this syringe"—she held it up—"found your dorm in the Genesis compound, and desperately injected it into your body without considering the consequences or side effects. As for Senshi, I left him because of what I told you before and now regret. It was because you two reminded me so much of that man… especially him. At that time in my life I was confused as to what you were to me…"

Karin wiped her eyes with the ends of her palms, displacing the glasses along her face during the process. Akua read her composure, it was in rapid deterioration. The fluid in her eyes came in an abundance that she couldn't keep from showing. This wasn't the image of a scornful woman bent on revenge, it was that of a confused, lachrymose woman who was trying to make up for past errors, repent for her sins and receive forgiveness. Regardless of her suffering her mother was responsible for, there was never a place in her heart that loathed the woman. Even after those words, even after learning she use to be nothing more than a valuable commodity to a scheme vengeance, she couldn't bring herself to it. She was her only family in this world other than Senshi. "Mom I…I don't want our relationship to be one of hate… I've already lost too much too soon, and I can't bare to lose anymore. I couldn't hate you even if I tried, I don't have that capacity. It's ingrained into my heart, you gave me life and my love is how I'll repay that debt, even if you hate me yourself."

"I don't think I'll ever deserve be your mother… but it warms my heart that you considered me one all this time. If you hated me forever, I would still love you. I know now that I always did. It's why I'm trying my best to undo what I did to you. It's why I've been away from Konoha most of the time. I have to continue my research on this serum if I'm going to get it out of you. Right now, no one knows how to handle this technology. Konoha can't help us, so it's up to me. Naruto does know about this though, he is the only one I've entrusted that information to."

"So you think there's a way to… cure me of this Serum Z… whatever it's called?"

"I will work endlessly and tirelessly to fix you, just as I will do everything in my power to locate Senshi."

Akua rubbed the right side of her neck, "Thank you, mom"—although faint, she smiled—"I really hope you're able to come up with something soon though. I had an outburst during the exam…"

"…R-Really?"

"Yes, I passed out for a moment, and found myself in some other world, like I was inside my own head. And I think he spoke to me…he convinced me to give in. Afterwards when I came to… Tanoshimi and Kenji were gone. And Yoshimura…I…"

"Did you—"

"Yes," Akua said in a firm tone. She was aware that her own mother wasn't expecting that from her.

"I'm sorry you had to do that."

"I'm fine," she didn't mention how she really felt about it, "…it was necessary. My hesitation and weakness was the cause of my teammates death's."

"That's not a healthy way to view things, Akua…"

"I don't no how else to…I have to get stronger. Don't let them take me out of this exam. I'll make a full recovery, I have to fight."

Her mother was taken aback by her sudden burst of combat-lust. Were these the effects of the serum or her own conscious intentions? Karin needed to study it more if she was going to fix this, but she couldn't let her daughter go out of control if she was prone to outbursts. "Alright," Karin agreed, "I won't let them, but you have to promise me that you'll block out the temptations of the serum. I don't know how it's developing or what will happen to you if you continue relying on it."

"Yes, I understand," Akua nodded, "I didn't like the feeling of it anyway. It felt like my heart was being squeezed…"

"Tell me more, this might help me with my research," her mother asked, interested in the characteristics of the serum.

"Hm, well I felt something outside my body. It was like I was being absorbed by something, shiny pitch-black ink or paste. And when I got engulfed I regained slight awareness of where I was, but it was like my body moved on its own. There was also a surge of a foreign chakra into my body as well, I have no idea what it was. After that, I beat down the Genesis, and now Yoshimura is dead. The other two are still alive. That's all I remember."

" _Foreign chakra, could it be?_ " Karin pondered. She was already starting to draw some conclusions. She rubbed her chin in deep thought. "I know what to do. Here, take my hand."

Akua complied, although quite puzzled. She started to put forward her right hand at first then hesitated. That was a tainted hand to her. She reached over with her left hand instead to grab hold of her mother's. Within a second there was cool, tingling surge of chakra. The contact between the hands of the two females was its conduit. Akua felt the clearing of her mind, a calming that washed all the tensions of the past few events away and the cold sensation that lingered in her neck vanished. "What did you do to me?" asked Akua, surprised that such a weight lifted from her chest and the fogs in her mind cleared.

"I made it so that you shouldn't hear those voices anymore. I hear the third portion of the exam will have spectators, and it will be broadcasted. I can't have you using that power anymore. Also, if you used your Sharingan, I'm prohibiting that too. I don't want anyone in our business yet, it will draw too much attention."

"Oh…are you worried about Sakura Sensei and how she might react? I don't think I ever asked, how do you feel about her?"

Karin rolled up her left sleeve while she spoke, "Personally, I don't know her that well. She did save my life once though. It was when Sasuke had almost killed me. That whole situation was quite hazy, but I knew then that she loved him. And probably a lot longer and more than I ever did. I don't any grudges against her either,"—she relaxed her left arm now and faced her daughter—"I don't want to be miserable anymore. Even though I didn't mean it back then, I did help them out once after Sarada was born. I couldn't cut them off for some reason. I'm the reason why Sarada has her glasses now you know, haha, she doesn't remember who I am though, most likely. Maybe in the future we can be better acquainted. You should try to get along with Sarada too."

"But what about Sasuke? Are you still…"

"I understand now that there will never be anything between us. I know that he's happy with Sakura. It was selfish of me to ever think about killing him, but now there are no feelings. All I need are my children. That's how it should've been a long time ago." Karin held out her bare left forearm to her daughter. "Maybe one day you'll get to meet him."

"…Maybe," Akua just managed to get the word out. "But what's this for?" she gestured to her mother's arm.

"Take a bite and absorb my chakra. It'll heal all your injuries much faster than any regular medical ninjutsu. You plan on fighting don't you?"

Akua nodded, reluctantly taking her mother's arm and closing her jaw over it. "Mufing's appining…" she mumbled with her mouth closed.

"You've gotta bite harder, pierce the skin, I'll be alright."

Akua did as she was told. Her teeth sunk into Karin's skin, but instead of drawing blood, Akua was overwhelmed by another surge of her mother's chakra. The chakra didn't have a specific taste, it was as if she was drinking water while she absorbed it. Energy circulated through her veins and her heart pumped blood with fresh, chakra-fed nutrients. There was an ocean emerald aura that the young Uchiha girl could see and feel around her own body. Her chakra was reacting to that of her mother's which created a synergistic effect, amplifying the potence of the ability. The broken blood vessels in Akua's cheek linked together, repairing their capillary pathways and absorbing the discoloration within her skin. Her bottom lip shrunk from its swelling and closed its split. The advanced cellular regeneration continued down along her body to her legs. The bones in her tibia and fibula of her left leg experience rapid repair, fusing together the fragmented pieces and shifting painlessly in their correct positions. When Akua felt the completion of her rejuvenation, her jaw unhinged and her lips peeled away. The aura of chakra disperse and a bite mark was left Karin's skin. A spell of exhaustion struck the woman. The depletion of a large reserve of her chakra resulted in the exposure of the true condition of her skin. After the bite mark Akua left, several others appear all around it. "Mom…" the girl worried.

"You should be all healed now," she claimed, slouching back into her chair, "Don't mind me, I just need to catch my breath."

"You're really amazing, you know," Akua grinned.

Karin giggled, "Oh please… You should get some rest now before you start training again. I have a feeling you'll see the Genesis kids again and you need to be prepared. I'll be there for the exam, but for now I'm going to head back to Konoha to research what you told me, okay?"

Akua closed her eyes with a gently grace and nodded her head, the grin still present. It would be an honor for her mother to watch her fight. Now she wanted to impress as well as avenge her friends. That thought gave rise to another realization. Boruto and his family would be there, including all the other people back in Konoha watching the broadcast. The entire ninja world would probably be watching the battles. She couldn't let anyone down.

Karin leaned into her daughter and planted a large _mwah_ on Akua's right cheek. The sudden affection forced a slight blush to color her cheeks. "Oh, by the way, Akua, I forgot to ask you," Karin mentioned, leaning back into her seat and pointing towards the girl's chest. "Where did you get that necklace? It's so beautiful..!"

The blush from Karin's kiss burned into a crimson that filled Akua's entire face to the brim. The redhaired woman didn't expect such a reaction, she was only asking a simple question in her mind. "I… I got it myself," Akua looked away.

"No way, it was Boruto, wasn't it," Karin teased. Her head reeled back from the force of the fluffy pillow that was thrown into her face.

* * *

The shattering of glass lifted the silence from a lightless candlelit room. Fragments of material scattered across the floor and a metal tray paddled along its perimeter with an obnoxious scrapping until it fell flat. Among the porcelain were the pieces of a flat plate, a bowl and a cup along with the chunks of rice, grilled tuna and splattered water that once filled them. The nurse attendant, whose hands the tray was in, was trembling in cold fear. Her knees wobbled as she stumbled back to retrieve a broom, dustpan and towels. "M-M-My… my ap-apo-apologies, L-Lady Ryūketsu," she stammered, kneeling down to clean up the mess. She wasn't doing a great job however. The contents on the floor continued to be pushed around like the woman's bones were rattling in her arms.

"Get out of my sight," the white-haired teenaged girl growled. The woman immediately scooped as much of the food and glass from the floor as she could, swept the towel over the floor a few times then hustled out of the room without saying a word. "Tsk..!" The girl's left fist whipped out in a fit of rage and bore a crater into the wall. Cracks streamed up to the ceiling and a rumbling shook the complex.

"Now, now," said a familiar voice, "no need to scare off my servants and damage this lovely place here, we're guests, Tanoshimi."

"Shut up, Misuto," she spat back. Her hair tossed when she turned her head to view his entering of the shadow cloaked room.

"You don't like the sun do you. Nice window here and some nice light there," he let out a sarcastic sigh. He was really upset that he wasn't able to show off the elegance of his feudal-style robes and haori.

"Don't patronize me."

"Please, Ms. Tanoshimi, won't you be a bit more kind? I came all the way out from Amegakure after all. Leaders like myself don't travel for just anyone."

"And why are you here?"

"Well to check up on you of course. You have my brand on that forehead protector of yours, you can't make me look bad now."

She spit at the floor below her bed. She was sitting up, but hunched over a few inches at the same time. The sheets her clenched in her hands and covering her legs. The sweat of stress and frustration beaded down the side of her head. The candlelight illuminated the glossy coating of her skin, and portions of her gray tank top under her arms, around her abdomen and around the circumference of her breasts were visible.

"I can see you're quite upset. Did the mission not go well?"

"What do you fucking think?"

"I think your rag tag band of misfits got their asses kicked is all."

"GRRAH!" Tanoshimi roared, now whipping her right arm out. Within the heat of the scream a solid substance extended out and fired through the wall across the room. Force generated a gust of indoor wind that sent papers, medicine bottles and other miscellaneous objects to either side of the room. Misuto had his head tilted to the right, avoiding the elongated blood manifestation by a quarter of an inch.

"You should control that temper of yours," he mocked, the silver strands of his hair fluttering back down to frame his face. "But if you think that my interpretation is incorrect, amuse me," he smirked.

"We killed two of them… the irrelevant trash she was with. And we were going to capture her too… but something happened."

"Is this what you were mentioning?"

"Yes," she grunted, "She's the reason I'm sitting here right now. I saw it with my own eyes, and I could feel it. That surge of power… her body was absorbing massive amounts of natural energy. It caught me off guard… that piece of dogshit… Akua… how dare she reduce me to unconsciousness. Bedridden. UNacceptable." Her grinding teeth calmed and were hidden by her relaxed lips. Then the split into a smirk, a smirk that turned into a chuckle, then hysterical laughter. He head flung behind, her neck fully exposed as her face was directed to the ceiling. "..Aahh. I'll tear her apart."

"Natural energy, hmm… perhaps Karin doesn't have the weapon at all. Do you lot even know what you're looking for?"

"Of course not… I don't give a shit about Kusagakure's business. We're just there because of Hideyoshi's money. This is just a courtesy, getting back his stolen

merchandise…disgusting slob."

"Karin is useless for you now. That weapon… it is no longer an object, it is that girl. Im sure of it." Misuto tossed a tag onto Tanoshimi's bed before turning to exit the room. "You should use that as well if you get in a bind. It'll seal up that chakra for you. You should thank your big brother Ginzen." The sixteen year old boy and Amegakure Lord stepped out of the room and was about to close the door, but popped back in, "Also you should eat the food I send in for you, if you want to recover by the time of that exam that is. Cya later, you tater." He just escaped the makeshift spear that darted into the door.

* * *

Akua spent the rest of her month in preparation for that one, final test. Her mother waited until she went back to sleep before she left. Later that night was spent with Boruto and his family in their hotel room as they experienced the new year, 1143. Akua was reluctant to see him but their encounter was inevitable. She kept the details of what she did in the Cloudburst Isles to herself. She didn't want him to look at her any differently. The more time she spent with him, the more she came to value their friendship and the more she cared about what he thought about her. His presence was able to calm her soul more than anything and she couldn't imagine not having that with her. Overall the days after her release from the hospital were comforting. Boruto was on a break from the Academy, so he was able to stay the entire month until the day of the tournament. With that being the situation, he spent each day helping Akua prepare as well as trying to sooth Akua's emotional pains. He was aware of what happened to her friends, and she could tell that he was trying his best to be of use to her. None of their training was intensive, she didn't want to hurt the boy, but she never gave him the upper hand either. Boruto understood her level of skill far exceeded his own in every aspect of jutsu. It did not discourage him however, it only made him want to get stronger. He had to if he was going to surpass his father.

January 31st approached after one long month. The final portion of the Chunin Exams were to be held at the Kumogakure Colosseum, a complex with a seating capacity of one hundred thousand. Reporters estimated that another ten million people were watching at home. It was one of the most anticipated events of the new year. At around 10:00 am that morning, people began to fill the stadium and take their seats. The complex was circular in structure, as was many of the massive seating event buildings. Its exterior was modeled with towering, corinthian stone columns all along the perimeter. The interior was one massive hallway that wrapped around the circumference of the building. That was where all restrooms, concession stands, and merchandise stores were located. It was also how one found their seat. Even if you arrived early, the building was crowded to the brim with eager spectators brushing past each other so they could watch a bunch of genin fight and potentially kill each other. That was the appeal of attending.

About 20 meters deep beneath the colosseum, was where the participants waited. Each had their own personal locker room awaiting them. Akua sat in silence within her room despite the commotion she could hear up above. The sound filtering through the earth was the collective chanting and roaring of the crowd combined with the shuffling and movement of their feet. The Uchiha girl wasn't dressed fully yet. She was in a chair next to where her chest-style locker was located. Her body was leaned over with her forearms against her thighs and her fingers interlocked. Hair fell to cover her face from the side as she hung her head in a deep, motionless pondering. She didn't need to rush either, her first match wouldn't be until the second round. Instead, she used this time to set her thoughts straight, focus on the mission at hand, one that she had imposed on herself. Boruto and the Hokage were sitting in the stands right now. Millions of people would be watching her. Her mother would be watching her. To anyone else, that pressure would have been unbearable, yet here this girl was, as calm as she'd ever been in her entire life.

"Akua," she heard a voice call her name from afar. She knew exactly who it was the moment the sound touched her ears.

The girl's eyes switched from her hands to the one standing in the doorway of her locker room, "Yes, Sensei?"

"May I come in?"

The girl nodded to her sensei and went back to her original position. Sakura stepped into the room and leaned up against the locker next to Akua's with her left wrist held by her right hand behind her back. Her minty emerald eyes stared blank into her own painted toenails, exposed due to her sandaled boots.

"Are you nervous?"

"No not really, why?" Akua spoke without facing her teacher.

"I just wanted to gauge your feelings, really. I also wanted to let you know that you didn't have to go through with this."

"What do you mean, Sensei?" Being baffled now drew her attention.

"The Konoha council decided that they didn't want to put you through anymore unnecessary dangers. They believe you already proved your capabilities in the second exam and have decided to promote you to Chunin."

The Uchiha's eyes widened at the revelation. The goal in which she travelled to Kumogakure in the first place was now complete. She should have been content, but her success was at the expense of the lives of her teammates. It was more than just becoming a chunin now. Her eyelids relaxed and she anchored her head back down towards her hands. "I'm sorry Sensei, but I can't forfeit now, not this late in the game. I have to see this all the way through. I must face that girl this time with clear mind. I might never get that chance again."

Sakura sighed a breath of slight content, "You're an amazing girl, you know that, Akua? Your determination… it's… heh, I'm sure those two would be proud of you."

"I hope so, and I hope that they're watching over me. This is for them too." Akua showed her sensei the small smile she wore.

"Well, since you're a chunin now, there is something I wanted to tell you."

"Hm?"

"You'll be considered a true, matured ninja from now on. You won't need the supervision of a jonin sensei anymore, which means that you won't need me. With that being said, I planned on resigning my position as a squad leader…it just wasn't cut out for me and I can see that now. I wanted to get your thoughts on it..."

Akua's smile transitioned into a frown. Her lips were parted, a natural reaction to the feelings Sakura was conveying to her. She reached into the chest of her locker and tugged at a black, elastic material. Light washed over the thin steel plate that was fastened against it as if it had a chrome finish. The insignia engraved in the center was always visible though. Twin blotches of violet made a blurry reflection as it was stared into. She began to question herself of what it really meant. "Do you feel that it's the best for you, Sensei?"

"I…I don't know…"

There was an enormous, cheering roar of the ground that they heard that instant. The announcer began to speak. The first round was almost over. Akua slipped on her mid-calf sandals and adjusted the clips. She had a new top that she pulled onto herself. It was a dark navy blue, button up blouse that was a slight, loose fit. The sleeves were rolled up and clipped, only extending far enough to cover her elbows. The collar was folded over, cutting down into a v-neck style that exposed a bit of her chest. She wore a new, combat material tank top under it though, dyed in carbon. The headband was adjusted over her forehead and she brought her from underneath it. The flawless raven locks had grown another half inch during that month. Akua rose from her seat and pulled the sheath of her ninjato from the hook it hung from. "I'll support any decision you make, Sensei. To be honest, I think that you should. Sarada needs someone waiting for her to come home. You don't need to worry about me." Akua made her way to the the doorway as she finished her sentence. Sakura's eyes followed her as she moved, widening while she spoke. "Do it for that reason. Not for guilt"—she turned her head to the left to look over her shoulder—"I'm the only one who needs to bare it."

It seemed now that Sakura was convinced. Akua wouldn't let her shoulder all the blame on her own. "You remind me a lot of the Seventh when he was younger…" the woman reminisced. But from behind, Akua reminded her of a person she hadn't seen in awhile. That thought was pushed out of her mind. "Akua, thank you."

Akua's smile reappeared, although not as large and contagious as Boruto's, it still forced Sakura to deliver her own.

The Uchiha girl turned and proceeded down the hallway, the click of each step she took echoing throughout. The smile vanished the moment Sakura was unable to see it. She possessed a straight, almost distraught expression now. " _Why do I still feel this way…"_ she thought. Not a single part of her heart trembled when she spoke to Sakura. Not even those kind words could shake the indifference she felt deep down. Sakura was her Sensei, but even after the previous, tragic events, she felt no more closer than she'd ever been. One side of her knew that Sakura was a benevolent person, yet at the same time, all of her current problems could be traced back to her. Sasuke's decision to choose her instead. As long as Akua's identity remained a secret, that would never change.

Akua's first match was shortly after that conversation. The announcer voiced himself into the mic. The sound boomed throughout the entire complex. The girl's name was called. The decibels Akua experienced as she approached intensified. The crowd went hectic as the name of the Kumogakure native was revealed. Judging by the excitement of the audience, he was already awaiting his opponent. It was like a tunnel with light at the end before the Uchiha. She was still calm however while she passed through it and entered the sun. She was an outsider, a foreigner, and immediately showered with the hate and disapproval from radical fans. "BOO!" some of the yelled. "GO BACK TO KONOHA!" others growled. "KUMO, KUMO, KUMO!" they chanted. None of it was heard. Akua simply walked at her side of the field. Her sheath strap was wrapped and clipped around her waist as she stopped, the weapon oriented horizontally above her tool pouch.

"On the left, we have Kumogakure's own, Yurui!" The audience went wild. He was one of the best genin that Kumogakure had to offer. There were also rumors surrounding who his parents were. "On the right, we have Akua from Konoha!" The noise died down then amplified with their verbal assaults once more. "Begin!"

With that word, Yurui began to charge, drawing his two tanto blades while gnawing at his gum. His first three steps garnered a thunderous cheer from the crowd of thousands. But no one realized that Akua was already in the boy's face. All he saw was the glimmering beauty of the girl's violet eyes before a sharp pain split across his chest. He was still awestruck by the time he realized what had happened to him and when he snapped out of his daze, he proceeded to swing the blade in his right hand across his body. But there was no one there to be found. An elbow grinded into his spine, and he found himself forced to the dirt, flying a few meters to the right before landing against his side. Four seconds had passed. Akua put down her left leg. The blood stained kunai in her hand was tossed over to Yurui as he rolled over on his back. "Here," she said, "you can have this back." The knife clanked against the floor until it came to a halt next to Yurui's kunai holster. His eyes were wide with disbelief. "That wound in your chest isn't deep enough to kill you if you get it looked at." The girl turned around and walked towards the exit without saying another word. The boy could no longer maintain his consciousness. It was the first time during the tournament that the crowd fell to complete silence.

"The…the winner is A-Akua!" the proctor announced reluctantly. The crowd was in an uproar of amusement. A girl who they'd never seen before in the tournament had stolen the show. The boo's and slurs turned to applause and cheer. Naruto, who was located in a VIP section with his family was astonished at the dominance displayed in such a short amount of time. It was also the first time he'd actually seen Akua in live action. Everything she did was reminiscent of her father, even her cool, nonchalant demeanor. Boruto wasn't expecting anything less. Akua was in her combat mode now, something he'd already experienced and gotten used to. Himawari, of course, was elated by the way Akua triumphed and Hinata, who was next to her, clapped with joy. Karin was also stationed within the VIP box, but stood in the back against the wall. The grin that couldn't help but show itself on her face conveyed how proud she was of her daughter. Killer Bee was the other attendant. His mouth was gaping at the way Yurui had just been defeated.

"Naruto, ya buffoon! What have you been feedin' that girl, don't anyone think she a lil' strong too soon? Yea!" he complained with his lyrical rhythms.

"Please Bee," Darui, the Raikage intervened, "The Seventh can't help that he raises such exceptionally skilled shinobi."

The Hokage scratched the back of his head with a wide smile to hide his guilt, knowing full well that Akua wasn't entirely a product of Konoha.

* * *

As there were less participants now, the second round went by in haste after Akua's match. She wasn't the only individual drawing attention to herself, however. There was another with an innate combat ability that rivalled and probably even exceeded her own. She was a demon in a young teenaged girl's clothing. The waist-length white hair that she possessed glowed in the brilliance of the high noon sun. With the last battle of the semi-finals, her opponent collapsed at her feet. Every opponent she faced was now eligible for a nap six feet underground. And this was the third. It was not against the rules, however. The match was not over until one could no longer continue, whether that meant unconsciousness or worse. This girl took full advantage of that. People such as Naruto were disgusted by the way she acted. There was no need to take the battle to such extremes as that girl did and he felt that she should be removed. However, this was not his Chunin exams and there was little he could do to change that. Unease filled his stomach now, especially since the final match was upon them.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcing proctor began, "now marks the beginning of the end…" His suspense baited the audience into hellish exuberance. "With the final match, we have on the left, Tanoshimi Ryūketsu!" The girl stepped from the tunnel as her named was called. Due to her actions, the audience was split between cheering with joy and berating her with hatred. None of it mattered to her though. Her interest lied not with the masses of individuals which she considered mindless heathens. It was with the raven-haired girl that approached from the other end. "And on the right, Akua!" The spectators jumped out of their seats upon her arrival. Throughout the course of the tournament, she'd gained charismatic luster through her style of fighting. Almost everyone was on her side now, rooting for her to win.

It was the third true confrontation these females had since the start of the Chunin Exams. Since then, knowledge on several knew things had been acquired on each side. Their last encounter could be attributed to that. It did not end in Tanoshimi's favor, though. Both females eyed each other down. Akua's chin sunk in livid anger and anticipation. She now understood how Usagi felt when she saw Yoshimura appear. The lust to destroy someone who had wronged you, mercilessly torn away a part of your being, it was unbearable. The Uchiha stared into a cold, icy platinum that at the same time boiled with a disdain that would have strangled anyone else under a grip of fear.

"Begin!"

When the announcer finished his last syllable, all other sounds were shut out by the two females. It was like they were deaf to the world except for the sound of their inner movements and the beating of their own hearts. There were no words. The only exchange between them were the pounding blows of their fists. The battle had already begun; a barbaric display on both ends while at the same time, an aesthetic beauty to those who appreciated the thrill of two skilled ninja at each other's necks.

Knuckles tore at the skin of soft cheeks. Fists burrowed into tough stomachs. Ribs and torsos were rattled by the blunt forces of whipping shins and driving heels. Forearms and shins were beaten against in defense of devastating blows and palms were a bruised crimson from absorbing the shocks of impact. The two females battled on a level that exceeded anything ever before seen during a Chunin exam. The fluidity of their movements. The grace of the their demeanor and the flawlessness of their attacks. All the while containing a component of savagery that every individual in the stadium could detect. It was no longer just a simple tournament match to them, those vibes were dead and gone five minutes into the two beating into each other. The audience fell into silence once more, choked by the emotion that exuded it's powerful aura throughout the arena. They were trying to kill each other.

Blood trickled down the left side of Akua's forehead as she moved. Her body swiftly evaded a left hook by Tanoshimi, the likes of which created a gust of skin rippling wind. The Uchiha pushed its momentum out of the way with her left hand and sweep-kicked the Ryūketsu's feet right from underneath her. Tanoshimi was acrobatic enough to use that to her advantage, back flipping around her center of mass to come to a landing handstand. Akua, at the same time, planted the foot she used to sweep and twirled counterclockwise about that axis while swiping her left leg around. In the instant of her handstand, Tanoshimi curled her torso and brought her legs in. The entirety of Akua's striking left calf had its spinning roundhouse stopped against Tanoshimi's inverted shin tuck. White hair flashed as its owner sprung from her position, landed back on her feet, and ducked under Akua's inbound follow up with her right leg.

When Akua came about, she was rocked in the diaphragm by Tanoshimi's two fists. An uppercut tiger-palm fired into Akua's chin, whipping her neck back and shutting her jaw against her teeth. The last strike was a return to her torso, a crushing blow that sent the back of Tanoshimi's knuckles through a horizontal bee-line into the Uchiha's stomach. The impact echoed even to the farthest spectator in the crowd. Akua staggered back and spit the taste of iron from her mouth. Then fresh blood sprayed from her left shoulder. A jagged garnet blade with the texture of metal had dragged through it. Upon the second swipe, it was met by the grinding steel of a ninjato. Akua had drawn her weapon in a parrying defense. The clash of steel clinked and clanked throughout the arena and golden sparks flew in different directions. Their swordplay took them all around the dirt they battled in. It had Tanoshimi falling back at certain times, and Akua doing the same.

The two combatants came to a grating clash, each pushing against each other's blades of choice in a vertical stalemate. Here they were able to examine each other again, peer deep into each other's eyes, and respark the urge within two to lay the other in the dirt. Akua flashed a grin. At that moment, bright azure crackles of chakra chirped to life within her hand. The lightning release the girl generated screamed to life and was channeled through the length of her ninjato. The properties of Tanoshimi's sword, as it was made from her own blood, fell victim to this strategy. The lightning was drawn against her sword due to its high iron content and conducted through her body. The white-haired girl screeched in agony while she was electrocuted and the smell of her burning flesh filled her nose. Her heart skipped several beats under the abnormal electrical discharge and her nerve tips were fried on end. The lightning against Akua's ninjato had also enhanced its cutting ability, allowing her to cleave through the entirety of Tanoshimi's blood sword, and slash down across the teenager's torso. The splatter of blood wasn't able to be of use to Tanoshimi since she was already being propelled by Akua's side kick. The Uchiha's left heel ripped forward and snapped back, bending her opponent's body over her heel and across the arena. The Ryūketsu jutted out from the force of the kick, bouncing in and out of the dirt several times before crashing into the stonewall barrier of the colosseum. She fell into the ground, the debris from the crater she bore with her body following.

Tanoshimi was quick to rise to her feet. The slash that her body suffered had torn a rip in her crop-top that cut down the valley of her breasts at angle. The article of clothing was still in tact, but smeared with a mess of garnet. The liquid pulled from Tanoshimi's chest to manifest another weapon. The girl launched from the edge of the arena towards the one that knelt about 60 meters away at the center. Akua forced herself up and met her opponent half way. The two blitzed past the other in a clash that sent their weapons flying out of their grasps. Skidding to a mutual stop and athletically changing direction to face one another, both casted similar hand seals and witnessed the other's incoming breath of flame. _BOOM_! The two destructive forces of inferno collided and mergeg into an explosive sphere of fire. The flames engulfed both shinobi, but Tanoshimi's fire release packed a larger punch. Akua was set spiralling out of the aftermath as a torched body of flesh, thudding into the ground 30 meters away and continued rolling another 15 before coming to a sliding, dusty halt. Her clothing was seared and tarnished. Third degree burns destroyed her ivory skin. Tanoshimi was also thrown around, but only rolled once until she was able to skid the rest of the way on her feet.

Exhaustion was clearly setting in. Tanoshimi hunched over, gasping for her lungs to fill with enough air. The jacket that was tied around her waist crumbled to a crisp. Burn marks were visible along her skin, but not to the extent of Akua's. Now the Uchiha was struggling. Her muscles wouldn't allow her to move, every part of her body was in a stinging pain. Blisters had popped open in her broiled skin and drained with blood. Part of her face on the right suffered minor skin damage as well. The girl couldn't seem to find any oxygen either. Her limbs were unresponsive. " _Get up,_ " she said to herself. " _Get up!_ " she screamed. Her nails dug through the dirt until her palms pressed against the ground. The girl's knees bent and wobbled as she tried to support her upper body. Eventually she would manage to stumble to her feet, swaying and staggering forward, just as she did in the Isles. She refused to let her body tell her what to do. A kunai was drawn and she began her limping charge. Tanoshimi was repulsed by her resolve, so much so that she couldn't bare to see any longer. The Ryūketsu opened her palms and curled her fingers in. A surge of chakra ignited at each of her fingertips, developing into a palm of vibrant, focused energy. The nature of the girl dyed the chakra red, and when Akua approached tirelessly with her kunai, she was stopped. Tanoshimi's chakra-packed left fist was buried in Akua's stomach. Then the right. The two blows shook the feet of each spectator. The last double palm strike was it. Akua's body had ran into a wall and blasted back from the expelling of a cannon-fist of chakra. Everything went black.

Akua landed on her back, but her body kept moving, rolling her over onto her stomach. Her arms were limp at her sides and head was flat in the ground, facing the left. "Akua?" the announcer called.

No response.

"Akua?" he tried again.

Nothing.

After a count of ten, the match had to be called. "Winner! Tanoshimi!"

Only a few hundred people even made a sound. All the other thousands, as well as the millions watching at home were more worried about the young girl in the ground. Did she fall victim to Tanoshimi's trail of destruction? The audience fell into another spell of silence. The Ryūketsu wasn't going to let her victory be on a whim, though. She stomped over to the unresponsive girl despite the lecture of the announcer, and morphed another collection of blood into a pointed weapon. The teen lifted her arm, intending to spear the helpless female, but her arm never came down. She was staring into the orange and black pattern of a shirt, cloaked underneath a fluttering white cape with red flame designs. He had appeared before her instantaneously and a small dust wave of dirt expanded around them. A bandaged hand had her wrist clenched. The vice grip that the individual held her in caused the girl to drop the makeshift spear. Platinum eyes met the serious blue irises of a man who had had enough of her actions. "This fight, is over," the Seventh Hokage reminded her.

"Tsk…" she scoffed, knowing well enough that the situation that she was in currently was not a fight she could win. Still, she wasn't afraid to show the Seventh her same disrespectful, nasty glare. The girl wrenched her arm from his grasp, backed away then turned to exit the arena. She had won the tournament, but departed utterly unsatisfied.

Karin was the second person who had appeared in the arena, traveling with the Seventh to stop the conflict from going any further. Her first instinct was to rush to her child. The woman slid to a kneel and pulled her daughter into her lap. "Akua, Akua darling…" she called. She shook the girl in her arms. One of the child's fingers twitched. Her chakra became a bit more detectable now. "Can you hear me?"

"Mom..?" Akua replied in a weak, patchy voice.

"Yes dear, you're going to be okay, alright? I'm sorry I even let this match go this far…here." Karin rolled up her left sleeve and held out her arm for her daughter to bite. The girl sunk her teeth enough once more draw chakra from her mother's body. The burn marks on her skin were clearing away and the wounds she suffered, including her shoulder, were sealed. Karin swallowed the pain for as long as required so that her child could recover.

"…I failed…I'm sorry, mom, I couldn't do it…" she said as she pulled away from Karin's arm. A tear streamed down from the corner of her eye and around her face. "Their deaths… they were in vain… because I couldn't…"

"No, they weren't in vain, Akua. Your friends, they sacrificed themselves in order for you to continue for them. The only way their deaths would be in vain is if you quit and lose your will to live. So, you can't get discouraged now. There's someone waiting for you to find him, after all."

Akua's heart was warmed by the smile that she looked up into. Her eyelids gradually shut and pinched, squeezing out every last tear. The girl nodded her head in compliance with her mother's statement. She leaned up on her own, attempted to stand, but fell back. Karin was able to catch her from her angle, but someone else was. Falling back into that person's arms instead of the floor, Akua turned her head to see who had caught her. And there was her favorite, bright smile.

"I know you like fighting and all, Ku-chan, but you did well enough. You're amazing ya know? Now come on, let's go home, eheheh," the boy giggled.

Naruto and Karin glanced at each other as they watched their children, then turned their attention back to them. The audience erupted in jubilee after realizing that the girl would be alright. Tanoshimi, on the other hand, had already disappeared.

Akua wore an identical smile to Boruto's, "Hm, alright you idiot."

* * *

The chilling February breeze back in Konoha called for extra layers of clothing. Snow still painted the ground with its frosty white crystals. It was still quite early in the evening, but at this time of year the sun went to rest sooner. It's rays started to wash away from the cemetery that one lone girl resided within. Everyone else seemed to have went their separate ways since the service was over, but she decided to stay a while longer. A gust carried through the field, causing the girl's black coat to billow and the violet scarf that matched her eyes to brandish itself behind her. The girl knelt down and placed two forehead protectors. They rested in front of two gravestones that were side by side. Also in her possession were two medium sized bouquets of flowers. By the grave inscribed _Yashiro Hyūga_ , sunflowers were neatly placed. By the grave inscribed _Usagi Shimura_ , tulips complemented it. Afterwards the girl took her leave. Tomorrow was another day that she had to live to keep them alive. That, and it was getting quite cold with the sun's departure.

 **That concludes the Chunin Exam's Arc, I hope you guys enjoyed. I also, I can finally say that the drawings will be done by tomorrow. I've been having trouble lately with illness as well as exams but it will be here.**

 **As a heads up, the next 2 chapters or so will be a mini arc encompassing Akua's adventure as a chunin before the next major arc begins. And it will begin on quite the note. Stay tuned to find out what happens next!**

 **I enjoy your feedback! Review/Fav/Follow!**


	11. Mother and Daughter

**Hey everyone. Glad to grant you another addition onto the story. This chapter won't be as long as the usual chapters, however. I decided to implement some relief from the events of the last arc and make this a little less serious and more comedic. It can be seen as a set-up chapter, or filler in a way as well. I also wanted to flesh out an important relationship here. I noticed some of you taking a liking to Karin so I decided to make her focal in this. Perhaps some of you will be able to reminisce and relate your growing up experiences with Akua!**

 **Towards the end will be an actual advancement in the story leading into the next few chapters. I'm also working on a double release for the next update, that's also why this one is a little short.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and have a laugh.**

 **Ch 11**

 **Mother and Daughter**

Golden sparks ricocheted from a brutal impact. CLINK! CLINK! CLANK! The clashing of steel grating against steel rung throughout the area and resonated in the ears of the combatants. There was a pause as the two opponents reeled back from each other after their last strikes. They were two females, both sporting the signature Konoha forehead protector from which their beads of sweat weren't able to be absorbed. Instead they trickled down the sides of their faces, around their noses and even dripping from under their chins. The stifling August sun played a factor in their perspiration. The waves of heat were visible in the atmosphere. The kunoichi didn't mind, however. It made their spar exhilarating.

The girls rose from their short rest, and having caught their breaths, charged once more. The thick drops of fluid sprung from their exposed arms and pink cheeks. The strands of wet hair that matted to their skin peeled away to flutter into the breeze. Their weapons struck each other. It was the hum of thin steel caught between the grooves of a refined trench knife. The two struggled in their clash against each other. One could see the twitching of their ached muscles and the way their bodies expanded for air. "C'mon now, Akua, there's no need to hold back on me," the other female grinned.

"What makes you think I'm holding back, Mirai?" They both seemed amused by their friendly conversation.

"You haven't shown me those beautiful red eyes yet, it takes a lot to eclipse mine," she teased.

"Hm, very well then," Akua complied. She dragged her ninjato and whipped her right leg around, causing Mirai to spring away into a backflip. The action gave her enough time to shut her eyes. The female across from her was able to feel the weight of Akua's sudden surge of chakra pull her down, but there was no sign of fright. Instead, all Akua witnessed from Mirai was the awe in her facial expression once her eyelids revealed the mixed crimson hues of her Sharingan and the three-tomoed pattern that floated upon the surface.

Mirai made the first, unexpected move, dashing towards the Uchiha girl. Akua's tomoe tightened down as she locked onto her opponent. Her own body felt lighter, more swift, and this was exemplified by the way she weaved through Mirai's jabbing slashes. Akua was making her slice at the air. Her movements were seen in slow motion, almost before they even happened. This way, the young girl was able to counter effectively with her ninjato, pushing Mirai on edge. The Sarutobi girl had to react just as fast, meeting Akua's blows at each intersection of their blades, but it was clear that she was being pushed back. It was a growing difficulty with her ability to keep up. Akua's movements were precise, cunning, and strikes were clashing all around. Mirai was wrenching all around her body, twisting and curving her torso in order to parry and evade. The Uchiha noticed the change in her combat approach; her Sharingan darted around within her eye sockets to follow her closely. She found herself being pushed onto the defensive by the Sarutobi now. She positioned her sword in various ways to guard herself. The speed of their movements escalated to the point where they were slicing their own sweat beads, seemingly suspended in the air before getting shredded into microscopic specks by the flurry of blades. Dirt from the field was being kicked up in low hanging clouds earth. Wild sparks flew. Clanking sounds blared. Mirai's last two strikes left Akua's torso open to a follow-up attack. Now was her chance. Akua took notice of how her up-stretched arms revealed herself, and as Mirai's right hook swung around she was able to swoop underneath. But there was her left fist, attempting to anticipate her movement. The sharingan saw right through it.

Mirai found her right arm crossed over her left, but there was no Akua in front of her that had ceded the spar. However, she did feel the tip of Akua's sword poking into her back at an angle above her pelvis. The displaced dirt beneath their feet sifted and began to descend back into the ground. Akua was crouched beneath the girl's range, leaning at her right side. Mirai realized that she'd been fooled. Akua faked a move to her left, towards her knife, then had rolled around to the right. This drew her left arm right under the right, locking up her movements. The Sarutobi raised her arms in submission while her partner prodded, "Ow, okay, you win this time, you shrimp!"

Akua giggled, "I did well, didn't I?" The girl withdrew her weapon and rolled onto her back.

"Well duh? You always do! You're too good for your own age." Mirai turned around to face her.

"Oh shut up, you keep saying that but I'm not that young!" Akua defended.

"Really now? When's your birthday again?"

"I turn 12 in November."

"What? You are a kid, pfft."

"Hmph, you're not that much older than me," she argued, raising her upper body from the ground and supporting it with her arms.

Mirai placed her hands on her hips, "Heh, have you even gotten your first period yet?"

"A wha..?" Akua questioned.

"…A period, you know, the cycle we get every month?"

"A cycle? Is someone supposed to gift me a bike every month? What the hell am I supposed to do with so many bicycles?"

"PFFT…BAHAHAHA!" Mirai erupted in a fit of hysteria.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me! What's so funny?!" Akua pointed.

"Just…"—her giggles interrupted— "haven't you had 'the talk' with your mom yet?"

"...What is that? Is that necessary?"

"Yes Akua, knowing about puberty and all that stuff is important, you dummy. You should go ask your mom ASAP."

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"Cause that stuff is awkward? C'mon now."

Akua pouted and folded her arms high against her chest. She watched Mirai pull her forehead protector away and shake out her unruly black hair. "Ew," she complained as sweat splattered her face, "your hair is all wet, you pig!"

"It's damn near 90 degrees, what do you expect?" Mirai's eyes scanned the training field around them. They locked onto one area. "Naked or underwear?"

"Are you alright this morning, Mirai?"

"Of course I am, I'm talking about how we show go cool off," she explained, pointing towards the gentle river that flowed a few meters away.

"Hmph! I'm not going in there with you!" Akua reestablished the folding of her arms.

"C'mon, before I drag you by the hair!"

Akua gasped. She didn't like when Mirai pulled her hair. In fact, it became much easier for her to do so. The past six months had seen about three inches added onto Akua's hair. A few days after they'd returned from Kumogakure, Boruto noticed the minimal, half inch growth of Akua's hair since he hadn't seen her in a month. That was when he told her that long hair would look good on her. Ever since then, she continued to let it grow. It was the first time in her life her hair extended past her shoulders. For the sake of today's training, she had part of it in a ponytail, while the rest framed her face as bangs. It was a face twisted with irritation.

Mirai was already on her way to the river. She started to under as she approached the bank. Upper part of her black jumper was short-sleeved, which she immediately took off. Right before she could step into the cool waters she unstrapped her sandals and dropped her pants, the bottom half of her uniform. She was down to her matching white bra and underwear now. "Here it goes!" she shouted, leaping across the bank. Her arms pulled up front and together at the palms. Her body arched and she pierced finger first into the smooth current. A large burst of water followed behind her as she was submerged. After moment, her head popped up from underneath the surface. "You look a little hot over there, Akua!"

The Uchiha frowned. Her skin was a heavy rain cloud of perspiration, yet she refused to give in. She drew her knees into her body to hug them then tucked her head down so she didn't have to see her.

"It's nice and cold! So refreshing!" Splashes from her movement disrupted the river flow. Mirai was now floating against the surface on her back letting the current whisk her away before she did a backstroke.

Akua was on the verge of dehydration. "Ugh!" she grunted, unstrapping her sandals and stomping over to the river. The girl left damp footprints. She wore similar clothing to Mirai with the black pants and short-sleeved shirt that she removed from her body. Underneath that dark clothing was a black tank top that was cut to her midriff as well as black underwear.

"Akua! You can't wear all black in this heat, you dummy!"

"Shut up!" she barked, dipping her toe into the water. The second the chilling sensation hit her, she flopped face first and her body was swallowed by the river.

"See? It's not that bad!" Mirai claimed.

Air bubbles surfaced and popped once they touched the atmosphere. Akua's head slipped from underneath the crystal clear waters. The surface stopped at the center of her nose bridge. Mirai was no longer within her field of view. " _Where did she_ —"

"Akua!" Mirai blurted, springing from behind the girl and clinging to her back. Her wet arms wrapped around Akua's body in a tight hug that jolted them forward. Mirai swooped around to Akua's front and poked at two specific points on her chest several times. "Ooh," she reacted.

"What are you doing to me!" Akua cried, slapping her hands away. Mirai was always this playful and close when it came to skinship. It was something that after six months together, she'd just now started getting use to.

"Have you noticed? Those have grown," she squeaked, "little Akua is starting to change into a woman!" Her fingers continued to reach but Akua was keeping her at bay. Mirai maneuvered around the Uchiha again to encase her in an embrace. "Have you started wearing bra's yet?"

Akua pulled from her grasp and collapsed into the river. The girl immediately paddled around to surface herself, coughing from the water that entered her mouth and nose. "T-That's none of your business!" The embarrassment was burning in her face.

"If not, you should talk about that with your mom too!" Mirai winked. Akua had her arms crossed over her chest, sinking lower into the river. "I think you're ready for a nice A-cup from the feel and looks of it!"

Akua's mouth sprung from the water to shout, "Pervert!"

"Oh c'mon, I'm only helping you out!" The grin on Mirai's face was priceless.

* * *

Despite what she may have expressed, Akua had taken Mirai's teasing words into serious consideration. Such was the case as she walked down the narrow street towards her home. She had a cone of vanilla ice cream in her hand that she licked at, helping her to cool down on such a humid day. The girl thought about how she would bring up these topics to her mother. Even she had been noticing the almost overnight growth of her breasts. Even a few weeks ago, there wasn't much development at all. Now she couldn't wear any thin clothing. She needed to start wearing a bra. Not only that, she needed to figure out what cycle Mirai was talking about. Akua didn't like being left out of the blue, especially if it pertained to her own body.

The house was now in sight. Akua gulped down. The shaking of her hand caused the ice cream scoop to splatter into the road. "Damn it." She tossed the rest of the cone and stepped onto the front porch. She took a deep breath before unlocking the door and entering the house. She took off her sandals and dropped her bag at the side of the door frame. "Mom?" There wasn't a response. It seemed like there was no one in the house. It was odd to the girl since she was expecting her to have returned from her travels that morning. Perhaps she hadn't arrived yet, so Akua decided to wait it out. An urge to use the restroom came upon her that moment, however. She turned to the left and around through the side hallway of the house towards her destination. Opening the bathroom door forced an, "AH!" out of her that surprised the woman fast asleep while sitting on the toilet.

"WEH?!" Karin shot up against the the back of the seat with her mouth dropping open upon seeing Akua.

"I-I'm sorry mom!" The door slammed shut. Akua's chest was heaving. The girl ran from around the corner, to the living room and dived face first into one of the couches. She heard the flushing of the toilet and the opening of the bathroom door. Karin peeked around the corner to spot her daughter.

"Akua..?"

The girl sprinted from the couch, breezed around the corner and into the bathroom. The door was shut behind her.

"Akua, are you alright?"

"I'm fine mom, I'm just had to pee really bad!" she yelled behind the door.

"Are you sure?" Karin was up against the door now. A yawn escaped her mouth. She felt herself slipping away into slumber again. "I can sense all that nervousness from your chakra you know, what's got you all riled up?" The toilet flushed and the sink water was running but she couldn't hear her daughter speaking if at all. The door opened. Akua stared with her head tilted down. She appeared to be distressed from the looks of it as well. Karin noticed something else however. The woman lifted her hand and gauged where the crown of her head rose to. She then guided her hand along a horizontal path towards herself. The side of her palm was just above her chin now. "Woah, you've gotten a bit taller huh?"

"Mom…" she looked up into her Karin's eyes, "…Can we…have the talk?"

"Th—" Her face fixed into the most scatterbrained, blank expression Akua had ever seen from her mother. It was completely out of character for the person she knew. Karin no longer looked down to her, but straightforward into the bathroom. The left corner of her lips twitched. Akua saw the shiver that tickled her skin and ran up her spine. "Ahem," she coughed, "…well you see…here, let's go somewhere… less uncomfortable, yea."

Both females were now sitting adjacent to each other about the corner of the connected couch set. Akua had a cold glass of lemonade that Karin had made, the slippery container clasped tightly between both of her hands. She hadn't taken a sip ever since her mother started to speak. Her words made her forget that the glass was undergoing condensation in her palms. Her mother was fiddling with her fingers, leaning over her thighs. Akua glanced over to her. "So that's the science of how… we happen…"

"Y-yes…" Karin responded.

"And that's how I happened…"

"Yes…"

"And it's possible because of—"

"Yes," she said, now beginning to sweat.

"And soon, every month I—"

"Yes—"

"WHY?" Akua cried out. The drink shook within the glass.

"Because we're women!" Karin threw herself back into the couch.

"That's no fair! Boys don't have to?"

"No, it's just us."

Akua screamed. She threw herself back into the couch, forgetting that there was liquid within her palms. Now it was on her shirt. "Ugh!"

"Ha! That was real clumsy of you," Karin laughed.

Akua's spilling of the lemonade made herself remember something else that was important. "Mom, I think we need to go shopping."

"Shopping? I'm kind of tight on money right now… what did you want?"

"Mirai said I need to start wearing a bra, plus I have mission money saved up." Akua's attitude shifted from that of anxiety and awkwardness to one that view bra shopping as another time consuming chore. She ran to the door and collected the purse she kept in her bag. Her mother was surprised by Akua's preparedness. She was taking this transition of puberty with a newfound maturity.

"Woah, alright then," Karin smiled, "let's go!"

Akua became motivated by her enthusiasm. With that, Akua went to change her clothing while Karin readied herself.

The mother and daughter pair traversed the urban streets of the Meguro district in which they lived. The area outside of its periphery was notably more developed. Very few vehicles passed through the area, most of the roads were narrow and utilized by crowds of individuals. The only transportation that you might find on the street were cyclists and trains that cut along the middle of the main roads. Akua and Karin stayed along the sidewalks. There always seemed to be less pedestrians there. The two passed by several sleazy stores before approaching one they thought would be decent for bra shopping. The building had a large, brilliant sign with characters that spelled out _Bashoreijin_.

A jingling chime accompanied the opening of the clear glass door at the entrance of the store. It startled Karin as she walked in, but Akua enjoyed the melody. The store was only a single, wide floor with different racks of women's clothing towards the center. Most of that merchandise was a collection of top wear. Along the sides were where the bottom wear was located such as dress pants, jeans, joggers and other clothing. These areas were predominant with casual clothing, however. There was an entire area dedicated to female shinobi attire as well as another to different types of footwear. In the back, there was a makeup and perfume parlour. The entire store smell of sweet floral fragrances. Akua's eyes darted around as she walked in, unable to locate what she was looking for. "May I be of any assistance, Ms?" asked one of the store clerks. Akua looked towards the woman addressing her. She was a woman of average height and middle-age, with a light, tanned complexion and sunbleached, blonde hair styled into a french braid.

"Hm, yes you can," Akua replied, "I can't find any bras, do you sell them here?"

"Yes of course, all the bras are located in a section in the back. We have a wide variety of selections and offer personalized measurement if needed." The woman turned her attention to Karin. "Do you need anything, ma'am?"

"No I'm with her," she gestured to Akua.

"Are you her…sister, then? I see a slight resemblance," the woman added.

"She's… my daughter." Karin was puzzled by the woman's assumption.

"Oh my! I apologize," she said, starting to lead them to the bra's section, "you just look so young, I didn't think you'd have a daughter this age."

Akua giggled at the woman's misinterpretation. She knew her mother would be embarrassed by the compliment. When she took a peek, there it was. The awkward blush on her cheeks whenever someone said something nice to her.

Soon the three females were in the bra section. The woman brought out her measuring tape and asked Akua to lift her arms. Two measurements were taken that led to one final decision. "Hmm… you are… about 72 and 82.5 centimeters."

"What does that mean?" Akua questioned, putting her arms down after the tape was removed.

"That's just the circumference of your underbust and overbust respectively. It helps with deciding your cup size."

"What size does she need then," Karin asked. She didn't understand what the measurements were, all she ever did was wear bras that fit. She never had someone to help her with such things.

"I believe B70 would be the best fit for her."

"Wha? B?!" Karin gawked. The news shocked the woman and made her sit up in the chair she sat in, staring at her daughter then back at the woman.

"Y-yes ma'am…" the woman said, frightened by Karin's reaction.

"What's wrong, mom?"

"Nothing it's just…that size is… I didn't even get a bra that size until I was 14 and you're almost 12. It's weird…"

"I'll leave you two alone and go find some bras that you may like…" the woman escaped an apparent tension that she felt.

Akua waited until the woman was out of range. "Mom, I don't understand…"

"It's nothing, don't worry." In reality, Karin had probably confirmed one of her suspicions. There wasn't much evidence for it, but it was possible that Akua's body was being altered by the Serum.

"Are you sure?"

"Yea it's fine," the redhead woman gave a warm smile. "Your body's just a notch up from mine, I'm glad you came out a little better than me," she giggled.

"I wouldn't mind, mom, if my body was like yours," Akua replied, returning her mother's kind gesture.

"D'aww, you're a little charmer, aren't you?" Karin ruffled the hair on her daughter's head. The two females enjoyed their moment together before the clerk returned with a few samples.

Akua ended up purchasing an entire collection of new bras with her money. The girl was satisfied with her gains and even went ahead to buy new pairs of frilly underwear. The original choices were a bit too mature for her according to Karin's standards, and that went for both bras and underwear. "Do you think Boruto would like these?" Akua would ask with the most innocent face, unaware of the innuendos that could arise from a question like that.

"Woah, woah, woah," Karin would respond, removing those selections from the girl's grasp, "you're a little too young for that… and definitely way too young to be worrying about what boys think of your underwear!"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Remember what I said back at home?" Karin reminded.

"…Uh huh…"

"In a year or two of your age, that's all boys will wanna do, DON'T fall for it, okay?" She gave her daughter a frightening, toothless smile.

"Y-Yes, mom!" Akua nodded.

The two individuals exited the the store and entered the streets of Meguro. Akua had her shopping back within her left hand, all of her belongings tucked inside. It was currently a few minutes past noon and lunchtime was dwindling away. Therefore, they decided to make their way to the nearest dumpling restaurant upon Karin's suggestion. The dumplings were tiny, spheric edibles skewered by a sharp stick of wood. Sweettooth-tingling sauce was poured over the steaming orbs of deliciousness, and hot tea of the customer's choice was served on the side. Each stick had four dumplings on them. Akua had a dozen sticks on her plate. Karin only had three. The woman couldn't fathom her daughter's appetite or where she got it from. The Uchiha child downed an entire two cups of sencha, or green tea in addition to her meal. "Mm, ah!" the girl exhaled, consuming the last of the drink, "this is really good, mom! We should come here more often!"

"I don't think my wallet can handle that, Akua," Karin jested.

"Oh my"—Akua let out a sudden, hiccuping belch—"oops!" she laughed at herself. Karin couldn't help but be drawn to the humor of her daughter's slight indecency. They both shared the young girl's laughter.

Later that afternoon marked the time in which they decided to return home. They walked side by side through the now less crowded streets of their neighborhood. The sun was still visible as it was the day-heavy summertime, but it melted away enough to leave a firey puddle of orange in the sky. Akua felt her mother draw nearer as they stepped onto an almost empty path except for a few people. The woman's left arm hooked around the girl's shoulder and pulled her close. In response, Akua hugged her right arm around Karin's waist. No words had to be spoken for either of them to figure out what the other was thinking, but they decided to anyway. "I really liked spending time with you today, mom. We don't usually get to do this at all because you're always busy, and I understand why, but today you took time out of your day just to be with me and I can't thank you enough."

"That's just what mother's do, darling. I'll always be here for you, and if not physically, I'll be here," Karin said, pointing towards her daughter's chest.

"Teehee!" Akua grinned, "I always knew this was who you were. All I had to do was wait long enough for this amazing mom to come to the surface. I think it's safe to say the wait was worth it." She tucked her head into Karin's side.

"I made you wait too long. I promise, I will make it up to you, darling."

"Mom…"

"Yea?"

"What about Senshi?"

Karin's chin sunk. "I haven't been able to pinpoint his location yet… I can't get close enough to Kusagakure in order to do that. All I know right now is that there's no record of… him not being alive."

"Then that means we'll find him right?"

"Yes, darling, I'll make sure of it."

"I want him to be able to spend time with us too," the young adolescent confessed.

* * *

Later that night found Akua preparing herself for bed, but the girl wouldn't go to sleep for a great deal of time after she was finished. Her routine included a shower, changing into her pajamas, a smoothing facial skin rinse, and then topped off by the dental hygiene of brushing and flossing. Akua stepped into her room after cleaning her teeth to hear the ringing of her cell phone. She wasn't expecting any callers, so she took it as a neat surprise. When she took a look at the caller ID, a small grin emerged. She answered the phone. "Hey Mirai, how're you doing?"

"Nothin' much, shrimp! How was your day? Did ya talk to your mom like I said?" Akua could hear the witty tone behind her voice.

"Yea, she… she told me everything, blegh! Why'd you have to make me do that!"

"How many times do I gotta tell you it's important!"

"Hmph," there was a pause, "…thanks Mirai. Because of you my mom and I were able to spend some quality time together."

"See? Mirai know's best, haha!" the Sarutobi gloated.

"This was all apart of your plan wasn't it, you sneaky—"

"Pft, what plan? I was just messin' around, looks like you actually got something out of it tho."

"If you didn't plan it… then why?"

"Well, shrimp, you remind me a little bit of myself growing up. You're definitely a lot worse off than I was no doubt—"

"Hey!"

"—Sh, sh… but as far as parents go, we've only had our moms there for us."

"I don't have it as bad as you Mirai, you can't help that your father—"

"No. My father isn't with me because he sacrificed himself to protect us, the future generation. I couldn't be more proud. If he was here today, he would be with me. On the other hand, your father still exists, yet neither of you know each other and he's yet to come to be with you. To me, that's the worst feeling in the world, and I think you're a lot stronger than I am to be able to deal with that."

"Mirai…"

"I'm sure your father has his reasons, but for now, you've got a mom here. Then you got me who's always lookin' out for you, the little shrimp! Oh, and that Boruto kid too, don't ya?"

"Wha! How do you know about him?!"

"Oh please, you don't think I've never seen you two together? Plus he's always blowing up your phon—"

"Shut up! That's not true!" Akua twisted and turned in her bed. It had been upgraded from the futon mat to a full bed set.

"Yea, yea," Mirai teased, "…so did you get your bras? What size are you?"

"Why are you so nosy!"

"C'mon, just tell me ya shrimp."

"B70."

"Woah, that's a little bigger than I guessed. So you are growing up, soon I won't be able to call you shrimp anymore."

"You could always stop now," Akua rolled her eyes away from the phone on her right ear.

"No way!"

Akua let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Anyway," Mirai started again, "there was actually something else I wanted to tell you."

"Really?" Akua seemed more interested now, "What is it?"

"Yea, I got some details on our next set of missions from Shikamaru Sensei. We're scheduled for an audience with the Seventh tomorrow morning to go more in depth."

"Hm… it's been a few weeks since our last big mission. Do you think this one will be like that?"

"Most likely. Sensei said that it would be an ongoing series of assignments that would take us out of the city from time to time. We'll be getting some assistance as well. As far as what we'll be doing exactly, I'm not sure. I just wanted to give you a heads up for tomorrow. Don't be late!"

"I won't, Mirai," Akua chuckled.

"Sweet, I'll see you tomorrow morning then! Ciao!" And with that, Mirai hung up.

Akua rested the phone upon her bedside table and relaxed into her mattress. She reached even further to shut off the lamp that lit her small room. There was still bright illumination that crept its way in through the window, however. It was from the massive, full sphere that distinguished itself from the night sky, painting over the darkness with its pale glimmers. Akua laid flat against her back in the solitude of her chamber, gazing up into the stoney ceiling. She released air from her lungs, sinking into the comfy bed while pondering the possibilities of her new mission. Perhaps this would be the one that would take her into the land she had been dying to travel to for nearly an entire year. Or would it be another lousy escort mission. Akua was craving some excitement deep down. But there were other things on her mind that lingered, goals that she wanted to accomplish. She had not progressed from the spot she was in since entering Konoha all those months ago. Now was her chance to change that, maybe. It was all a speculation. The girl's eyelids grew heavier, blinking slower as time went on. Eventually she would let them fall, shielding her eyes from the moonlight that penetrated the room. Her answer resided in the next day.

 **As I stated before, I'm working on a double release update for June 4th. These chapters will basically cover the bulk of Akua's new chunin missions.**

 **I hope you enjoyed a little shift from all the seriousness. Your feedback is always appreciated as well.**

 **Review/Fav/Follow Thanks!**


	12. Jurou Hideyoshi

**A/N: Before you start reading I wanted to apologize for not double releasing 12 and 13 at the same time. I started 13 and realized that my SAT test day was today… so much of my attention this week was focused on studying for that. The chapter isn't far from being completed however. I might be able to post on Sunday or Monday but if not, be expecting the double release to be for 13 and 14**

 **In light of that, please bare with me and enjoy this chapter. I made it extra long since I realized I wouldn't be able to offer 13 right now.**

 **Ch 12**

 **Jurou Hideyoshi**

The thunderous steps of a large man echoed throughout the Kusagakure hallway. He was located in the city's central government building, heading towards his scheduled meeting during such a lovely Monday morning. Surrounding the man were several of his personal attendants. Bodyguards strode along his perimeter at each of its four corners. They were members of Kusagakure's elite shinobi battalion, carefully handpicked for this specific duty. In between them were simple servants and advisers that attempted to offer refreshments and suggest ways for the man to open up the meeting itself once he arrived. He swiped the drinks out of his way, shattering glass across the wooden floor boards. The advisors that walked with him were pushed to the side; one of them even tumbled from the edge of the walk and splashed into a pond of the inner gardens. The guards were eventually ordered to keep them away. The only thing that mattered was stepping foot in that room he was headed towards.

The man's zori sandals tramped against the flooring with loud clicks. His silky jade hakama pounced around while his legs made powerful strides. Underneath his hakama was a kimono of matching color with intricate golden embroidery along the trim and collar. Completing this regal outfit was the sparkling black haori that shrouded the contrasting green hue. The fingers of his clenched fists were fashioned with separate golden rings, each with a different gem at the center ranging from sapphire to ruby red and everything in between. Solid jade bangles jingled around his wrists and around his neck were three gold pendants. He possessed black hair that was able to extend to his back, but was tied into a bun. A few strands of it hung into his face, however. His facial structure was delicate but had the age of 40+ years embedded into his rough skin. His jawline was faded in a slightly darker color than the rest of his complexion as it was where his facial hair grew. The man recently removed all of it, revealing the scars on his cheeks and chin. Normally, this was a face that was quite appealing to the opposite sex. This morning though, his dark eyes and features were twisted in livid anger.

The meeting room was now in sight. The man of the hour arrived at the frame. His silhouette could be seen through the bamboo film of the shoji door. Then within the blink of an eye his full image appeared. The wooden stopper at the edge of the shoji was completely torn from its position by the way it crashed against the frame. The intense impact boomed, expanding the eardrums of every individual in the room. Rattling fragments of wood dangled from the inner structure of the screen. After such an eccentric entrance, the man took a calm step inside. The guards followed behind. One of them attempted to close the shoji in which his employer destroyed, but only got as far as sliding it three fourths of the way closed without getting into an awkward struggle. The rest of the door was dragged out and the thin wooden poles that supported the screen snapped further with pieces crumbling into the floor.

The man was now kneeling upright at the head of the long rectangular chabudai table. His fists slammed down into the table as he leaned in to examine his company. The men in the room noticed the splintering of the solid wood underneath the large man's fists. Each of the ten individuals in the council gulped with some even attempting to wipe away sweat beading down their faces when they met the man's belligerent scowl. His eyebrow twitched once his vision completed its period around the room. "EIGHT months!" he roared to open up the meeting. The room shook from the vociferous tone. The grown men trembled in their zabuton seating.

"H-Hideyoshi-sama…" one of the men tried to begin.

"EIGHT BLOODY MONTHS!" Hideyoshi continued with his coarse accent. His head dipped down. He was writhing with fury now. His words came out slowly, "Eight. Months. It has been EIGHT months since our laboratory was vandalized and incinerated. The only sample of my serum has yet to be returned to me."

"Hideyoshi-sama," a different man interjected, "we've received intelligence on the whereabouts of the fluid…and—"

"And when was that, might I add?"

The room fell silent. Hideyoshi broke with a grin.

"It was… about half a year ago, my Lord."

"Ah, I see. So why is it not in my hands right now?" The sarcasm was blatantly obvious.

"We've been having troubling trying to retrieve it." The man was being grilled on an open flame. His lips were pursed and laced with perspiration.

"I was told in October that I would have my merchandise within my possession within the year. It is now August. What could POSSIBLY prevent you milksopping heathen's from obtaining it?"

"My Lord," another individual across the table spoke up, "we suspect that the Yabune Serum is located within the bloodstream of one of our previous Genesis Program participants. Akua Uchiha."

"WHY hasn't this child's head been brought to me on a platter yet?"

"She is taking refuge with her fugitive mother, Karin Uzumaki, within the Land of Fire, specifically Konohagakure, my Lord."

"And this was kept from me for what reason?"

"We did not want you to stress ov—" That man was cut short, never getting to finish the rest of his sentence. The zipping sound of a projectile replaced his voice and found itself lodged into the side of his temple. The tanto extended through the council member's head, forcing him to the tatami mat floor, staining the tan brown material with a wet crimson. Hideyoshi closed his right hand and rested the fist on the table once more. The nine remaining men didn't utter a word of defiance, nor did they attempt to help the man bleeding out beneath them. They were all too worried about their own wellbeing to focus on anyone else other than themselves. Nine grown men were shaking underneath their kimono's, afraid to make any sudden moves. Hideyoshi tilted his head up to scan the faces of each member of his council.

"Let that be a lesson to all of you. Do not deceive me." Hideyoshi rose from his knelt position and towered over the low table. "The solution is simple. Those wallowing rats in Konoha will not be the ones to profit." He turned to face the door, delivering one last order before he exited. "I request an audience with Ginzen. Send a messenger at once."

* * *

Akua stepped onto the porch of her home and eased the front door shut. She spun around to prance down the steps, approaching the sidewalk where her mother stood. The sun had finally found its position in the bright blue sky that morning and its rays gently kissed her now lightly bronzed, ivory skin. "You look so pretty, darling," Karin pointed out.

"Mom please," Akua blushed, "this is just my uniform, it's nothing special." Normally when Akua had shinobi business, she would wear the standard Konoha uniform that consisted of the new green flak jacket style over a black jumper. However due to such stifling times, she decided to change the outfit a bit. She wore her headband the same way she always did around her forehead, except now it was over her hair. This was because she had her raven strands held back into ponytail that extended to the end of her neck. The rest of her hair remained the same. Underneath her flak jacket was a black, short-sleeved shirt instead of a long one and the Ushiogakure symbol was worn on a red band connected to her left sleeve. Below, she wore the shorts similar to the ones she wore during the Chunin Exams. Her kunai holster was strapped high around her right thigh over a wrap of white bandages and her sandals were the same black pair she had always worn. The girl didn't carry many weapons on her, nor did she have her ninjato equipped. She wasn't going on a mission yet, afterall. It was getting closer to the time of her meeting, however.

Karin also changed her outfit to something a bit more familiar. She had a light-colored, collared shirt with the end unbuttoned to the point where a portion of her flat stomach and tiny navel were visible. Furthermore, she had a short black tie around her neck and dark-colored wristbands. Her signature short black shorts were worn along with high-calf length, open toed boots as her footwear. The satchel that she always carried around when she went away hung diagonally across her body. "If you're the one wearing it then it's always special!"

"You're so embarrassing," Akua giggled, "I have to go, I'm gonna be late if I don't leave now. Take care!"

Akua waved while she ran until she disappeared around the corner. Her focus now shifted from her mother to the potential assignment she was about to receive. Within a few minutes of leaving her house, she was on the train and on her way from her neighborhood of Meguro to the Academy district where the Hokage's Mansion was located. During the ride there, she was fidgeting with her interlocked fingers and knocking her knees together in anticipation. The girl was getting antsy to arrive, looking every few seconds towards the clock within the railcar as well as the monitor that displayed their location and destinations. Every time she rode this train, it reminded her of the first day at the Academy, which surprisingly was also her last day. Furthermore and more importantly, it reminded her of Sarada. She had only seen the girl twice during the past six months and each time was a passing glance that they shared. Akua would be waiting outside of the Academy for classes to be over in order to see Boruto. Neither of the girls bothered to speak to each other at all. Sarada still harbored some sort of grudge against Akua which was clear for the latter to recognize. Her wrist had long since been healed and any lingering resentment for that would be pointless and irrational, especially since Akua apologized. There was something else, Akua thought, that was the cause of such apparent tension, but she didn't bother to worry herself about it. The train was coming to a stop at her destination.

Akua stepped off the vehicle, into the station and immediately exited onto the street. She was in a dash now, scaling up the side of a building and jumping the rooftops to avoid the crowd. She sprung and made a swift landing just outside the golden, open gates to the courtyard. A cool breeze carried in through the open doors of the mansion building as she walked in. The receptionist at the front desk was someone different today. A man with short brown hair and round glasses. The girl approached the desk. "Hello, I'm here to see the Seventh. I was summoned to retrieve mission details?"

The man shuffled through a pile of documents then turned his attention towards the computer on his desk. He made several clicks before responding, "And your name please?"

"Akua Uc-… I mean, yea Akua."

"Ah yes," the man said as he typed in the characters for her name, "you're scheduled with Mirai Sarutobi for a meeting with the Seventh. You can head up there now, I believe they're both waiting for you."

"Thank you!" Akua turned to sprint up the stairs before she halted.

"Wait!" the man yelled.

"What's the problem?"

"You forgot to sign in."

Akua's expression flattened out into embarrassment. "M-My bad," she apologized.

The Uchiha girl opened the oaken door to a room with three individuals within. One was a man standing next to the desk at the far end of the room. This was Shikamaru. Near him was Mirai, who stood with her back facing the door. Her head turned and a smile spread across from cheek to cheek. "Well, well, well, look who decided to pop in," she announced.

The sound of her speech caused the third individual to look up from the papers on his desk, the Seventh Hokage. "Ah, Akua!" his face lit up.

"Good morning everyone," Akua politely greeted. She shut the door behind her, stepping further into the room to stand next to Mirai.

"We're actually waiting for one other person, but we can start the debriefing for now. He's already aware of what I'm about to tell you both."

Both Akua and Mirai nodded.

"Now," the Hokage began, locking his fingers and resting his elbows on the desk, "in the past few weeks, we've noticed some… unusual action being taken by an old friend of ours, Kusagakure."

Akua's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean by that, sir?" Mirai asked.

"They've begun to mobilize in several ways. Specifically speaking, they've been making military and economic moves that we can no longer ignore. We've also received reports that they've been working with a organization called ' _Ethuriel_ '. There isn't much known about this organization yet, but we do know there is some sort of connection."

Akua seemed curious. "What's the status of the Kusa-country in regards to this? Are these movements a secret-cell operation, or are they being endorsed by Jurou Hideyoshi?"

"We're absolutely certain that Jurou, the leader of that country, is spearheading this. He's a powerful man and has assets in several industries. Kusagakure would be quite wealthy if he didn't hoard everything to himself. But that's beside the point. Right now it seems like they're making covert moves." Naruto slid two copies of a document across his desk so that each girl was able to take a look. The document consisted of charts that graphed out several different components regarding Kusagakure and the Land of Grass. The most obvious feature synonymous with each graph on that document was the upward slope.

"This is…" Mirai started but didn't finish. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the unbelieveable contents of the document.

"As you can see, their GDP has increased exponentially over the past month or so compared to previous years. There was a slight recession in October but, they seem to have fought back. What you might also notice is the increase in the production of weaponry and funds being pushed out to the development of their shinobi. I'm sure you're both familiar with the Genesis program as well."

"Then they're prepping; getting ready for something," Mirai suggested, "but for what?"

Akua rubbed her chin in thought before refocusing on the Seventh, "Could it be that…"

"Yes. We have something that originally belonged to them and it has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction. We also have no intention of returning it to them. Their actions even now have been too suspicious." Naruto leaned back into his chair and turned to face Shikamaru. He made a gesture with his bandaged hand while he spoke, "Show them the map."

The Hokage's advisor turned and unraveled the map they had rolled up and attached to the wall. The entirety of the Land of Fire was shown as well as its borders with the Land of Wind, Rain, Grass and several other countries. Shikamaru pointed to one of several red x's along the borders of the Land of Fire as well as other nations. "These markers are locations in which we've spotted foreign and unauthorized shinobi. They're neither officially from Kusagakure, or any other nation on record. We've concluded that they're hired agents of Kusagakure however, because they have been seen together with Kusa ninja in other countries," Shikamaru reported.

"Could it be that they're the shinobi of the Ethuriel group?" Akua questioned.

"That is our primary speculation, however we haven't received any solid proof of this. Furthermore, as time has passed, we've recently started to spot them further in from the border. They've avoided attacking any towns or villages though. It seems that these mystery ninja are also searching for something. This hasn't been limited to the Land of Fire as you can see, but we've notified our allied countries to pay attention to this. All we can do now is focus on ours."

Mirai examined the map, glanced at her former sensei, then back to the Seventh. "How may we be of assistance, Lord Hokage?"

Naruto was in the middle of rising from his seat and positioning himself to gaze out the large windows, giving him a stunning view of the prospering city that he and his own former sensei developed. His hands were held behind his back. "Our objectives are two fold. In order to secure the safety of the Land of Fire, we must strategically weaken the assets of the Grass. Jurou has repeatedly ignored my pleas for negotiation and we can no longer sit back while he mobilizes. We must do this under the radar to avoid a large scale conflict." The Hokage then turned around to face his two female guests. "Our second objective is to drive these unknown shinobi out of our country, while also discovering whatever they were looking for. For them, use any force necessary."

At the moment, there was a knock on the door. It appeared that the final individual they were waiting for arrived at last. "Come on in," the Hokage ordered.

The door opened and from the hall stepped one of the shinobi from the Anbu Black Ops. It was obvious due to the uniform that he was wearing, although it was not the new design that they wore on missions. Akua and Mirai turned to examine the person who entered. His mask only covered the top half of his face. It possessed a single, visor-like glass in which he could see through. From the look of the rest of his face, they could both tell that this person was a young male. He was about as tall if not slightly taller than Mirai was, indicating he was around her age as well. He had bangs of black hair hung around the mask with the rest of it tied back in a low ponytail that didn't reach too far past his shoulders. He had a smirk on his lips the moment he walked into the office. "Sorry I'm late, I lost track of the time," he explained, scratching the back of his head.

Akua switched her eyes back to the Hokage. "Who is this?"

"This is Hishiro Sureiya, one of my Anbu Corps. Since we're being stretched thin by missions currently, we don't have sufficient manpower to provide you with a substantial amount of assistance. However, he will accompany you during your missions. You will also be accompanying him on his missions. I believe the both of you with your skills set are more than qualified to do so."

Hishiro reached out his right hand to Mirai first. "Nice to meet you, please take care of me." They shook hands.

"Same here! Is it alright if I called you by your first name?"

"No problem, but first, may I ask you of yours?"

"It's Mirai, Mirai Sarutobi."

"Such a beautiful name," he complimented. Mirai couldn't help but share his smile. Hishiro then fixed his attention to the other girl, holding his hand out. "You must be Akua, correct?"

"Y-Yes… how do you know my name?"

"I was able to see you fight during the Chunin Exams a few months ago and I've been dying to meet you ever since. And you have quite a fierce name for a young girl so I wanted to check it out myself."

"I see, well you won't find too much that's fierce about me," she lied, "and it's nice to meet you, Hishiro." The two shook hands.

"Well now that you're all acquainted with each other, I can give you the details of your assignment. Over the next couple of months, the three of you will be assigned to various missions in regards to the topics that we've just recently discussed." The Hokage's attention shifted to Akua and Mirai. "You two won't always be working with Hishiro, but tomorrow will be your first mission with him. Use the rest of this day to prepare yourselves. You'll be travelling to the Land of Grass in the morning."

* * *

Akua didn't have much to prepare for after that meeting. She had been waiting for this opportunity to return to her homeland from the moment she hopped on the train to leave it. All of her travelling supplies were waiting at home. Her mother wasn't going to be there that night either, so she decided to go to a friend's house. After gathering some of her belongings, she got on the next train to Rasen. After the train ride, she ran the rest of the way towards the west of the district into the suburbs. It only took about 15 minutes before she was ringing a doorbell. Akua waited a moment before the door was opened. There stood a gorgeous woman of average height with large pale, lavender eyes. She had immaculate dark hair with a violet tint that was cut perfectly around her neck. The woman wore a plain pink short-sleeve shirt and ecru shorts that covered most of her thighs as well as black open toed boots that extended up her calves. The woman looked surprised, she wasn't expecting any visitors so early in the morning. "Hinata-san! How are you?"

"Oh my, Akua! How wonderful it is that I got to see you today!" The two females exchanged a passionate embrace before releasing each other. "Would you like to come in?" Hinata offered.

Akua complied. She was always welcomed into the Uzumaki household without question. It was practically her second home because of how often she was there. "Thanks for inviting me in, you're always too nice to me," she smiled.

"Please, don't thank me, it's always a pleasure to have you here, Akua," Hinata replied. Hinata always had a smile on her face whenever Akua saw her, and that was frequent. It was like being upset or frowning was foreign to her. They walked back to the living room where Hinata had been trying to tidy the place. Akua placed her bag on the ground and took in the the blessed fragrance of the home. Hinata glanced over to Akua while she wiped down the living room tables. "Were you looking for Boruto, dear?" she wondered.

"Oh, yes I was. Is he here?"

"No he's not unfortunately, but I know where you can find him." Hinata also had a basket of laundry that she needed to fold as well.

"Are you sure you don't need any help around here though? It's a pretty big house… I know it can get tiring sometimes."

"It's okay, I've been—"

"I'm not in a rush, Hinata-san," Akua flashed another smile as Hinata watched her make her way to the laundry basket, starting to fold clothing. The woman simply exhaled and enjoyed the company, allowing Akua to aid her around the home. Hinata's average working time was cut in half with Akua's hand involved. The pair went all around the house, dusted off cabinets, washed the dishes, vacuuming the floors and carpets, and fixing the bedroom accessories. The Uchiha wiped sweat from her face as they finished. The interior was just as hot as it was outside.

"Wow," Hinata pointed out, "this place is spiffy isn't it?"

"Mhm, spotless!"

Hinata tilted her head to view the clock in the kitchen where they were located. "You should get going now, Akua, I can't keep you here too long now. I'm sure Boruto would be happy to see you."

"Ah- Well… I…" all of Akua words were jumbled. Hinata had succeeded in flustering the young girl.

"Here, take this," she said, handing Akua a laminated slip of square paper. It had the Hyūga clan's crest upon it as well as Hinata's signature. "Boruto went with his sister to train with their aunt and grandfather. The address of the Hyūga estate is also on that seal. Show them that and they'll let you right in."

Akua stared with gaping eyes at the seal that seemed to shine with its own light. "Yes, I will! Thank you so much again, Hinata-san!" She slammed into Hinata, giving her another hug before she went sprinting towards the door. She skidded to a stop however, turning to ask one more thing. "Hey, my mom isn't going to be home tonight so could I stay here by any chance?"

"Of course, Akua! You don't have to ask every time, you're welcome to stay whenever you'd like."

With that, Akua exited the home in glee.

The Hyūga estate was just a little southeast of Rasen and the Uzumaki household. Located in the residential district of Edogawa, the estate was the largest private plot of land in the entire city. The Hyūga were the most noble family after all. Akua arrived at the front gate about half an hour after she left the house. She had to walk most of the way since the trains didn't cut deep into the district. The Hyūga didn't want the noisy vehicles near their properties. The seal was shown and she explained how she obtained it. The two guards hesitated for a moment before agreeing to let the girl in. Akua stepped through the threshold into what seemed to be another world compared to the outside. The space was ever abundant with stone pathways that mapped around the area. Koi ponds that were fed by stone fountains decorated the compound along with medium sized maples with amaranth colored leaves, nicknamed "bloodgoods". Cherry blossoms were also sprinkled about and occupied spaces in between buildings. Furthermore, the buildings were some of the most breathtaking pieces of traditional feudal-style architecture that she had ever seen. Akua felt as though she was strolling through sacred temple grounds. Akua was headed towards the largest building within the estate, the main branch's mansion. It was just as much a monument to Konoha as the stone faces and the Hokage mansion itself were. There were pale eyed residents all about. The Uchiha girl was an outlier, the lone violet eyed individual as always. Several attendants approached Akua to offer her some aid once she showed them the seal. Each of them lead her in the direction of the mansion.

Soon, Akua found herself at the base of a set of steps. At the head was the rectangular walkway that surrounded the main building. She removed her sandals and was escorted into the building by an attendant and lead through the mansion towards her destination. She came to a door and wound up in front of the sparring grounds. She wasn't allowed to go beyond that point, however. The individuals within were still training, practicing secret techniques that outsiders were not permitted to witness. Therefore, Akua had to wait for them to be over, and that wouldn't be for another hour or so. Akua took a seat in a bench near the door and five minutes later, Boruto barged out. The two of them shared a shocked glance at each other. "Ku-chan? How did you get in here?"

"Uh, your mom sent me here. I wanted to say hi, talk, that kinda stuff, you know." Akua sensed the negativity of Boruto's aura. She could tell that there was something bothering him. He didn't smile when he saw her and that was an instant red light. Akua examined his clothing. He had on the standard Hyūga training gear that consisted of thin, black dogi pants and a long-sleeved black dogi top that resembled a full shirt with a large v-neck collar. Underneath was a mesh t-shirt that could be seen from the space that the collar revealed. The outfit itself was dirty and tattered and his blond hair was a mess. It was clear that the boy had been training. "Are you alright? Why did you come out so early? They told me I'd have to wait an hour."

"Because I couldn't continue on. I don't have the byakugan like my sister so my Gentle Fist training is limited." Boruto lifted the dogi shirt from himself and threw the dirty clothing to the ground. "This thing is filthy."

Boruto didn't want to be around the main branch's mansion anymore. Just the thought of being inside it now frustrated him and it was easy for Akua to see. So, they both decided to walk about the grounds. It was the perfect chance for Akua to take in all the scenery she could. "So you said you couldn't use the byakugan…why is that? You're a Hyūga too aren't you?"

"Yea well I guess I just wasn't meant to have it. Hima, who's even a few years younger than me awakened it the day our dad was supposed to be inaugurated. It was over her stupid stuffed animal getting torn too. Ever since then I've been pretty jealous of how strong she is now." He kicked at some loose stones.

"Hey, that's nothing to get upset over. You should be encouraged. Even though you guys aren't full blooded Hyūga, you can still awaken the Byakugan. You just gotta work a little hard to do it."

"Yea, yea, yea."

Now Akua was becoming discouraged. There was a sharp pain in her chest from the tone of his nonchalant attitude. His response showed her that she wasn't getting through to him, wasn't succeeding in cheering him up. She took hold of his right hand with her left and kept him from walking any further. "Please, Boruto, don't stress about it. It hurts to see you so gloomy. I promise, you will awaken it. Just don't give up." He was reminding her of her brother when she awakened the Sharingan.

"That's easier said than done." He pulled his hand away and continued to walk.

Akua sighed. "I got another mission. That's why I came here, to let you know."

"Oh, did you see the Hokage?" he asked in blatant sarcasm.

"You mean your dad? Yea, he was there."

"Hmph. Don't give him that title. He doesn't acknowledge it."

Akua narrowed her eyes. "Are you… Boruto, he's your father, but he's also the Hokage. You have to understan—"

"That's the thing, you don't understand at a—" Boruto staggered back as the impact of skin against skin rung in his ears and he found himself a seat in the ground. His head spun to the right and locked out against his neck. The boy brought his hand up, pressing his fingers against the swelling in his cheek. Akua's right fist was brought back to her side. Boruto's pupils trembled at the sight of her in disbelief of what she did to him and with regret of what he said.

"You're right. I don't know. But at least you have a father who knows who you are." Akua tossed the entrance seal into his lap and turned towards the gates of the estate. Attendants were rushing over at that moment, ready to angrily escort her out. "Give that back to your mother"—she started her stride—"and call me when you fix that attitude of yours. I hope you awaken your Byakugan soon."

* * *

Akua didn't bother to stay over that night. After that occurrence, she decided to retrieve her belongings and return home until it was time to leave for the mission. Her excuse to Hinata wasn't very solid, as she was able to perceive that something had happened. The Uchiha rushed out of the household in haste, never seeing the frown that developed in the Hyūga woman. Akua spent the rest of that day alone in her house flipping through channels on the TV. Nothing seemed to interest her at all, except for one station. It was a live interview of the Seventh Hokage himself. The girl decided to tune in, but her stomach growled. The volume was turned up so that she could hear it in the kitchen while she prepared her dinner.

Cooking time wasn't extensive. It would only take her ten minutes. Akua opened the fridge and removed the miso marinated salmon cut which she had let soak for about an hour. She removed the excess marinade and placed the fish in the oven to broil. The girl payed closer attention to the television while she waited. The interview was about half way through. "Lord Seventh, could you tell us about the dreadful Moon crisis all those years ago?" the interviewer questioned. She was a young woman, most likely in her 20's. She donned a formal, business suit and skirt with dark, chestnut brown hair styled back into a bun. Naruto pondered the request, trying to sift through what he was allowed to say about the top secret mission.

"Ah… well, heehee"—he scratched his head with a wide grin—"there isn't much I can tell you specifically, ya know, but I can say that it was quite a struggling trying to stop that thing from crashing into earth."

"What methods did you use to get to such a distant world? What was it like being there?"

It was all interesting to information to Akua. Her mother didn't elaborate on the moon crisis much.

"I'm not authorized to talk about how we arrived there, unfortunately. However, my first impression of the place was way beyond my expectations! We popped up in a place that pretty much looked like we never left earth in the first place, but it was still pretty weird."

"What do you mean by that, Lord Seventh?"

"Well you see, we came out within a cave and there was light from a sun in the air and a huge ocean within the cave itself… but the creepiest thing was the way the ocean warped and islands looked like they were floating!" Naruto was not only speaking with his voice, but with the movement of his hands, and it made Akua giggle at how goofy he naturally was.

"Oh my, Lord Seventh, I don't understand!" the woman laughed on with Akua, although she had no knowledge of the young girl. "Could you be a little bit more clear?"

"My bad! Ok"—he made sharp gestures with his hands as he explained—"we realized that the light we saw was from an artificial sun created by a mechanism within the moon itself. That same device made the interior of the moon a habitable environment for humans like us to live on. And that's what it seemed like. There were so many ghost towns as if people originally lived there."

"Could these lunar inhabitants have been the fabled Otsutsuki, Lord Seventh?"

"Yes, they were. But they were all gone by the time we got there because of an apocalyptic civil war that they had."

"How were you able to stop the moon from descending?"

"Ah, well, I had a group of my friends with me: Sakura Haruno, Sai, my advisor Shikamaru Nara, and my wife Hinata, who was still only a Hyūga at the time. Together we were able to stop the force pulling the moon to earth. That's about all they're letting me say."

"Ooh, then tell us about your wife! You went on such a dangerous mission with her, how did that help strengthen your bond together?"

Akua couldn't take her eyes off the the TV now. At this point, she had the broiled, miso seasoned salmon over a bed of rice in her lap while she sat, nestled into the couch. She was especially interested in hearing this story. Naruto was playing with his fingers now, and his deep blush in reaction to that question made the studio audience bathe him with aw's.

"Wow… heh, now you really hit some buttons," he admitted, "ya know, I bet if she was watching this right now she'd be super embarrassed and wouldn't want me to say anything, haha!" The Hokage paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "But I can't help but tell the story about how we finally fell in love."

Naruto was now entering uncharted territory, prying into the hearts of millions of viewers, Akua, and even Hinata herself. Little did he know that she actually was watching the live interview that night. She was surrounded by her prodding, enthusiastic daughter and moody son as they were gathered in the living room. His prediction was correct. Hinata had her knees hugged to her chest and her now cherry red complexion half buried within a pillow.

"I was a real idiot growing up ya know, and I didn't understand what it meant to romantically love someone. I thought all types of 'love' were the same thing, so I didn't pay much attention to it. But here such a beautiful woman was, watching an idiot like me from afar as they grew up. I was truly oblivious to how Hinata felt about me, even when she had officially confessed in the heat of Pain's invasion." His facial expression shifted to one of disappointment, not in anyone else but himself. "You know what they say, you don't know what you have until you lose it. For a moment in my life during that mission on the moon, I thought I had lost her forever." He wiped the tears that were beginning to develop underneath his eyelids. "But the time we spent together there, the feelings I learned that we shared, everything came together for me in a resolve that refused to believe she was gone. In the end, that mission brought us closer together and once we arrived back on earth after completing it, we shared our first kiss. Soon after, we were married and the rest is well, yea…" His expression shifted from the despondency in the middle of his speech to one that blessed the room with its bright warmth.

The audience burst into a round of applause. They completely soaked up the passion of their Hokage's personal tale that served to literally bring him down to earth. He showed that he wasn't just the Seventh Hokage, but an individual with emotions, trials and tribulations like everyone else. The interviewer herself was delighted to have heard the story. Akua had a cheek-filled smile on her face. Her tasty cooking was just one pleasure she experienced in that moment. Naruto's love story caused her to reflect on the story of her own mother. The girl developed a sympathy and understanding for her that she originally wasn't able to comprehend. She was happy for Naruto's fortunes while at the same time felt pity for mother and jealousy that her family might never be as functional as that of the Uzumaki's. That thought almost ruined her night, but it was saved by the thought of a young boy she'd encountered earlier. Even though there was no wrong in what she did, she still felt she took her actions a bit too far and was stricken with guilt. These fluctuating emotions were interrupted by a question that almost twisted the girl's stomach.

"It is said that a mysterious man appeared during this crisis and helped to protect Konoha from a meteor that would've otherwise spelt destruction. This person was rumored to be the rogue, Sasuke Uchiha. What can you tell us about him?"

"Sasuke, huh?"

Akua was compelled to shut the television off, but she couldn't follow through with pressing the button on the remote.

"Sasuke is my best friend, that's pretty much all there is to say…but there is more that I'm able to say. He lived a similar life to me growing up, so that's how we can relate. I've always been looking out for him, and ever since he became rogue I've wanted to bring him back. After the war I believe it's safe to say I accomplished that. Hidden behind that outer, shadowy guise is just a normal guy that cares about his friends, his family, and the place he calls home, Konoha."

The Uchiha girl listened to what Naruto had to say before her index finger applied pressure to the remote, and the picture of the of the television flashed and wrapped into reflecting sheet of black glass. She was able to see the dark remnants of her silhouette with in. About a quarter hour was spent sitting in still silence before Akua rose from the couch and reentered the kitchen. She put her dish in the sink, gave it a thorough wash, dried it and then placed it in the cupboard. While doing so, she pulled out a cup to pour herself a glass of water to drink before she went to sleep. The lights in the living room and kitchen were shut off as she made her way into the small corridor where her room was located. The glass was placed on her bedside table and she went into the bathroom to complete her hygienic routine.

Akua exited the bathroom. The light was shut off. She entered her room and proceeded to change into her pajamas and found herself laying up right against her pillow. Every action she had done since shutting the TV off in the living room was done without so much of an extra thought in her mind. It was void of anything, all except for her father, the mysterious man, Sasuke. Furthermore, she went through that series of actions with a constant expression in her deep violet eyes. The more she lingered on the topic, the more the weight of her longing pain tugged at the strings of her heart. Thinking about that man did nothing but plague her psyche. The thought of him now subsequently led to remembering each and every hardship that the young girl had been put through, none of which did anything of significance to truly help her. That was how she put herself to sleep that night and almost every night; thinking about was was and should have never been.

The girl sunk into her mattress and curled up against its surface. Despite having the window open, the heat of the season provided her with a layer of sweat as she slept. Sleeping without covers didn't make that much of a difference either. Moreover, identical to every night, the glass would sit on her bedside table without a single sip being taken from it. There it sat until morning where she didn't bother with it anymore and tossed it away.

* * *

Akua was the first of the group of three to arrive at the western gate, their scheduled meeting location prior to their departure. She had her back leaned against the interior frame of the towering, wooden-emerald double doors that just opened for the morning. There was a single, arching torii gate that was constructed into the frame and within the walls that closed off the city. It was a glossy bright crimson and the kasagi that crowned it sat with it's intricate, golden glory of design at the head of the wall. Akua turned her head towards the village. The Hokage Monument was visible from her location to the northeast, although it was a great distance away, enough for its image to be perceived as faded. She then fixed her vision upon the polished, granite path. Its width matched that of the gate itself, stretching an exact 20 meters across. She saw her teammates approaching. Mirai waved towards her friend. She wore a black version of her flak jacket for this mission, as did Akua. The green color would stand out too much for what they were preparing for. Hishiro was present a few steps behind her. His mask was already adorned. Akua had yet to view his full face, and the more she was prevented, the more eager she became to see it. The three gathered themselves, checked all their belongings, and were authorized to exit by the gatekeepers. However, just as they were ready to leave, Akua heard the distant calling of a familiar voice. Her eyes widened while they were directed towards their path. The owner was instantly recognized. "Ku-chan..!"

"Who's that?" Hishiro wondered.

Akua turned around and waited for the individual to scale the short flight of steps towards the granite path.

"It's her lov—"

"Shut up!" Akua blurted, cutting Mirai off. Her arms folded as a reaction to her embarrassing irritation.

"Ku-chan!" shouted the boy as he lugged up into view and collapsed into the stone. The three shinobi were able to see how his back expanded with his harsh respiration. He pushed himself from the ground and continued his marathon. Akua stepped forward and started to walk in order help him out.

"What are you doing here, Boruto?"

"I-ha… agh… huff… huff…" he babbled.

"Did you run all the way here, you idiot?" She sounded as if she was annoyed, but her teammates only saw her back. They couldn't see her smile.

Boruto was catching his breath. "I… I took the train and then...and then I sprinted all the way…"

"But why?"

"I wanted…"—he was hunched over with hands on his knees—"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I said to you yesterday, I didn't mean it ya know, really!"

Akua took a moment to pause and process what he said. She was rather surprised that he would run miles all the way to the gate just to say that instead of texting or calling. That realization set in. He wanted to see her in person. The girl's lips tightened as her chest seemed to weigh her down.

"Here," he said, reaching into his back pouch and withdrawing a short, cylindrical container. It had the Konoha insignia printed on the cover. Boruto held out his arms with it between his palms. "Please take this, it's a healing ointment. I'm sure it'll come in handy for your missions, ya know. My… my uh, mom told me to give it to you." He looked away, using his mother as an excuse again.

"Hm… I accept your apology, and your offering," she declared. "…And I'm sorry for punching you." The container was taken and she held it to her chest. "Thank you."

Even though he just caught his breath, again it fled him. His bright blue eyes had to expand to take in the image of the young girl standing before him. The gentle curve of her face, the curl of her lips as she smiled, the grace of her long eyelashes, the lustrous raven hair that danced with the slightest breeze, the ripe pink of her cheeks, and the most captivating feature of them all, the depth of the violet, amethyst orbs she possessed, flecked with blueberry hues. It all blended together in perfection to produce the pool of color that could swallow him whole with extended exposure. Boruto's jaw dropped a few centimeters because of how her eyelids relaxed. She used her curled index finger to close it for him.

"I have to go now, I'll probably be gone for a few weeks. Take care of everyone for me!" she said before raising her fist to him. This time it wasn't for punching. Boruto bumped his own against hers.

"Haha, sure thing!"

Akua turned and ran back to her comrades. It was time to leave if they were to be on time. She placed the ointment in her back pouch then lead the way as the group of three vanished into the trees. At this point, all focus was now tailored towards the mission. All except for one person's. "That was the Seventh's son, wasn't it?"

"Mhm," Akua replied, pouncing and leaping from a branch.

"Heh, I didn't know you were so popular."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Hishiro."

"Woah, Shrimp's getting all jumbo now, huh? Talking up to higher ranks all sassy…" Mirai teased.

Akua rolled her eyes and launched herself forward, accumulating velocity. She broke the 160 km/h barrier with ease. Their first objective was to arrive at their checkpoint. It was a rest stop compound about 1600 km from the border. Here they would regather themselves in a base that Konoha's shinobi used specifically for their travels. Several of these were scattered across the vast country. The trip would take them at least 24 hours to arrive, however, not including any time they took to eat or sleep. The team left Konoha at around 7:00 am in the morning and travelled until around 9:00 pm later that night. That was when they decided to rest after a long day of constant running.

They set up clearing within the forest to be their camp for the night. Sleeping bags were laid out and a lantern was lit. Mirai immediately collapsed into the padding of her mattress, falling asleep without even entering it. It was much too hot, even at night, in order to do that anyway. Akua sat towards the flickering of the amber flames within the glass. Her knees were bent and her forearms rested across them with her chin pressed on top. Hishiro sat on the other side within the radius of fluxing light. He was still and motionless in his seated position, supported by one of his arms. "Hey," Akua called. There was no response. From the corner of her eye, she saw no significant movement or attempt to answer. "Hey," she snapped her fingers until he stirred. "Why are you staring at me."

"Oh crap," he said, shaking his head clear. "My bad, I just—"

"Were staring at me."

"Forgive me, your eyes are quite hypnotic when they blend with this light. It's like the violet is fighting against it, never being cloaked by the lantern."

"Uh-huh…I don't usually get 'hypnotic' a lot. But it's not fair that you can sit here and stare when I've yet to see your face."

"Anbu aren't allow to reveal their appearance while on their missions."

"Quit being a stinge. There's no one around here for miles to see you."

Hishiro exhaled in submission to her demand. "Very well." The tips of his fingers clung to the glimmering material of his mask, detaching it from around his face. When his hand came down and the light touched his skin, Akua glanced for a moment then shifted her gaze back to the lantern.

"Wasn't that hard now, was it?"

"Well that wasn't really the reason…" There was a long pause after he spoke. Akua didn't pay any attention to him afterwards. His appearance wasn't that striking to her. In fact, he looked exactly how she thought he did. The shape of his eyes were sharp and his eyebrows were thin. His hair covered much of his forehead, but there was nothing of significance there. His skin was free of any marks that stood out. "Why did you want to see my face so earnestly?"

"I just wanted to confirm my speculations. Usually when people put on masks there's something important they want to hide. But you don't seem to have anything."

The way Hishiro's shoulders drooped made Akua think he interpreted her words differently, but she shrugged it off. There was another long pause. Hishiro attempted to spark conversation again. "Well it's true. I don't have any cool scars or anything. I don't think my appearance is unappealing, though."

"It's good to have confidence."

"G-…Yes indeed," he said, trying to laugh off the potential blow. "You're a lot less open than I thought you would be, Akua."

"Why would I be open to someone I just—" She stopped herself. She'd opened up to Boruto in the first few minutes of their encounter. Although this wasn't the same, she figured another friend wouldn't hurt. "Why are you so interested in talking to me?"

"I think there's an abnormally mysterious aura about you. I'm curious. I also wasn't able to learn much about you from Ms. Karin."

"You know my mother? How?"

"Ah! Now you're talking, splendid!"

"Tsk, whatever, explain yourself."

"Whenever she would leave the city, I would accompany her for protection. That is what I've been doing recently. However, someone new will be doing that until I return. I know about yours and her situation with Kusagakure. We wouldn't want them attacking her out where we can't help her now do we."

"And they sent a kid to bodyguard."

"Hey! I'm 14 years old, thank you very much!" He sat up and folded his arms.

"I didn't ask."

"Gah! Don't be so rude. Besides, you're a little younger than me, yet I'm sure you're not just a 'kid'. I've seen you fight afterall."

"If they sent who I think they would, one Anbu member wouldn't be able to stop them."

"You might be right, but the Seventh seems to trust my abilities."

"Arrogance and confidence are two completely different things."

"Heh, you're a lot wiser than you look too."

Akua rolled her eyes, now gazing away from the lantern. The girl then decided to clock out. She scooted back from the lantern and unravelled her sleeping back. The position in which Mirai slumbered was mimicked as to avoid the heat within the padding. She laid herself on her side, facing away from the light. "I'm going to sleep. You've got watch."

"Wait! How long are you—"

"Good night."

"Akua!"

There was no response. She was ignoring him now; no one could fall asleep that quickly. The boy sighed and complied. He wasn't thinking about waking the girl so he decided Mirai would be the next best choice if he got tired.

* * *

The second leg of the trip to their checkpoint went by without any complications. This compound was were they would be returning to for the next few weeks after each individual task until their deployment duty was fulfilled. They didn't stay long once they arrived however, only a few hours. There they refreshed themselves on what their actual mission was. Their current objectives resided in three specific targets within the Land of Grass itself. Two of them were industrial factories, and the third was a textile storehouse, all of which were owned by the government. It benefitted them that the locations where in such proximity to each other as well as the border.

Once they finalized their first task, they were off. They travelled the last couple hundred kilometers to the edge of the Fire country and scaled the cliffs that lined the border. Once that imaginary line was crossed, it was like the atmospheric content changed for Akua by the way her chest tightened up. She felt some sort of disgusting nostalgia to this country that she couldn't fully comprehend. Nothing was said, however, and they continued on. By that time the sun was creeping down behind the horizon and they were drawing nearer to their destination. The landscape of the Grass country in some areas was not much different than the Land of Fire. Vast and unique forests defined a majority of the landscape. Giant mushrooms or bamboo could be found in some of those areas as well as tall grassy plains. Old rivers cut deep ravines into the ground over thousands of years and expansive jungles rich with plant life were prevalent. These were some of the places that Akua literally grew up in.

The time for reminiscing was over. The mission was only a few minutes away from commencing. The sun disappeared from the heavens and the earth was shrouded by the darkness of the night sky. The only shadows were caused by the beaming display of light refracting from the full moon. The team was approximately one kilometer away from the first target, the storehouse. "Oh, here guys, take these," Mirai remembered, "we'll need them to communicate."

She handed Akua and Hishiro an ear piece with a built in microphone. Each of them were wirelessly linked to each other as well as the command center at their designated rest stop.

The team started to separate as they closed in on the storehouse. It was a three-story, stone complex with large, glass windows and a tall center tower that scaled into the air. At the peak of the tower was a watch house with four patrolling lights. Several Kusa shinobi could be seen within it. Around the perimeter of the complex was steel, barbed wire fencing. Electrical discharge scampered along the chain links and the night shift security were stationed in specific positions without any apparent blind spots in their surveillance. Overall, it was a heavily guarded facility of about 40 acres of land at its disposal. Unauthorized individuals weren't allowed beyond a certain point. However this did not hinder these special Konoha shinobi. There was a buzzing in on their ear pieces. "Hishiro reporting in, is everyone in position?"

"Clear," Mirai and Akua said respectively.

"How many guards are on your ends?" The three of them were in a triangular formation about the perimeter of the complex.

"There are 56 Kusagakure shinobi present on the exterior, I repeat, 56, and 44 on the interior, 44." Akua announced.

"Really, how do you know that?" Hishiro wondered in awe.

"I can sense their chakras. My mother taught me."

"A sensor type, huh? Pretty nifty," he voiced over the mic.

"I'm suppressing our chakra signatures now," Akua warned, "we'll begin in three… two… one…"

And they vanished into the cloaking darkness.

A soft breeze pranced through the area. CRASH! It was interrupted by the felling of a massive oak about 300 meters southeast of the storage house. The impact shook the earth and rustled, flimsy leaves as well as the creatures that inhabited them. The attention of the men and women occupying the compound was drawn for a moment before they focused on their watch duty. One moment was all that was needed. Akua had already infiltrated, creeping along the roof of the facility. She noticed as she crossed the threshold, there was indeed a chakra detecting barrier visible from the inside. Around that time, two ninja were instructed to investigate the timbering in the forest, only to find no traces of any person having been there.

One of the men in the central tower noticed the lurking of an unidentified individual within the perimeter of the complex. No one should be leaving their post at this time, especially in such a suspicious manner. It was clear to him that this person was not supposed to be here. He realized a bit too late before he could spot them with his light, unfortunately. The barely audible sound of sandals clicking against the ground of the watch house caused him to turn on instinct. In the middle of his rotation thuds were heard, which resulted in him spinning around instead. There he saw the three incapacitated bodies of his comrades, but only for a glance. The rest of his experience was characterized by two scarlet red harbingers of light. And then there was nothing for him.

Akua scanned the four individuals, the light emitted from her eyes like a beacon in the darkness against their bodies. She toned it down as much as she could though, to avoid detection. This was difficult as there was nigh a time when her crimson vision was dull. "Watch tower is clear, over. Proceed with mission," she declared.

Mirai complied. She scuttled across the open field of the compound without the worry of the lights spotting her. They were being operated still by clones of Akua as to not alert the other guards, but their path was altered so that Mirai was not detected. The Sarutobi girl sneaked up the side of the wall while Hishiro reported in, "Were there any casualties, Akua?"

"No, I used genjutsu."

"Alright, keep Kusa death's to a minimum. We're not here to kill anyone."

"Got it," she said before removing her finger from the ear piece. Akua witnessed Mirai approach along the wall towards the wide window panels. Her trench knives were drawn and a sharp ignition of chakra coated the blades. Four precise cuts were made, and she kicked in on a lower portion of the glass. The entire square panel unhinged from its sealed bindings and rotated counterclockwise about its center instead of falling to shatter. This gave Mirai time to catch and remove it silently so she could enter.

"I'm inside the storage house, I repeat, inside the storage house," she said before her microphone tuned out.

With that being said, Akua opened the latch in the floor of the tower and descended into the storehouse and Hishiro was on his way back from the tree site. Within a few minutes all three shinobi were within the facility, having bypassed all 56 guards without so much as a whimper by either of them. The interior of the storehouse was a simple, hollow space. The stone walls and ceilings were supported by steel beams. Two layers of balcony, constructed of the same metal were built against the beams, encircling their perimeter. The top balcony had two bridges that extended across to the other side, a scattered population of ninja moving around with 44 pairs of eyes patrolling within. The ground level was where all the product and supplies were being kept, organized in rows and columns and teeming with lighting all around. Furthermore, there was a surprising discovery. "Guys, I have some information to reveal," Mirai reported.

"What is it," Hishiro whispered, now within the storehouse itself.

"I learned that they aren't just storing textiles here. It's… much more than that."

"How did you figure that out so soon?" Hishiro questioned.

"Heh, C'mon now, you think Akua's the only one skilled at genjutsu?"

Akua giggled over the microphone. "What else did you find out, Mirai?"

"I infiltrated the mind of one of these shinobi and apparently there are other raw materials here as well as stashes of ninja tools in most of the crates. Some of these things are quite excessive, especially for a small country like the Grass. There are also mechanical parts for large artillery. Seems like the textile label was just a guise."

"Interesting," Hishiro responded, "well done. I'll confiscate some of these parts as proof. Let me know where they are. You two continue on."

"Sure thing."

Akua was already a few steps ahead. She had already dispatched the 16 shinobi within the balconies and disabled all electrical framework with her lightning chakra nature. The entire facility fell into darkness. Hishiro's mask was equipped with night vision technology which he switched on the moment light disappeared. Mirai had a similar device, except she had to wear hers like a pair of glasses. Akua too had the same device as Mirai but didn't deem it necessary for her. She was able to sense the positions of each shinobi regardless and move accordingly. The Kusa guards fell into chaos, unaware of what to do and where they were. Shouting and screaming by the frightened men and women boomed throughout the hollow building. They were becoming quite unorganized now and this was used to Konoha's advantage. Within a few minutes, they were able to reactivate the power and the chaos subsided. Light revealed the Kusa nin to each other, and there was a calm silence.

"OUTSIDE! WE'VE SPOTTED A BATTALION OF MILITANT SHINOBI BEYOND THE PERIMETER," boomed the now functional loudspeaker, "ALL SHINOBI ARE ORDERED TO ENGAGE ENEMY TARGETS OUTSIDE." And so they did. The Kusa nin fled the interior of the facility to combat the nameless bandits. However as they would slash and cut with their weapons, the bodies of the bandits dispersed like exiled phantoms.

"Are they all out, Akua?" Hishiro asked.

"Yea, all kusa nin have exited."

Hishiro held a hand sign.

BOOM! The was no time between the handsign and the volatile storm of combustion that swelled the storage facility and poured out from broken glass panels. A spectacular array of various reds, oranges and yellows melded together into the explosive ball the gnawed out the interior of the building. The black of the night burned away from the spark of light that flashed and flames screamed to life in the aftermath. Scorching debris and scarred steel burst from within and rained down from the impact. The foundation of the building itself shook and cracks raced across the infrastructure. Another chain of explosions rattled off caused by the denotation of materials already present beforehand. The tower collapsed in on itself in the last moments after the destructive climax. Kusa nin on the outside had been caught in the shockwave and displaced, unaware that their building was a ticking time bomb. Much to their confusion, the bandits had vanished as well.

"Shit… the guys in the tower…" Hishiro remembered.

"Don't fret yourself," Akua asserted. "It's unrealistic to think that we could do something like this without any casualties." The girl turned and leaped to another branch. The group itself was at least 500 meters away in the deep forest. "Now come on, we have other targets." Akua never expected that she would say something as mature as she did just now. Her experiences as a shinobi seemed to be taking their toll, however slight it may be. Whether or not it was positive or negative was to the interpretation of the observer. To Hishiro, he was distraught at the unnecessary death, but impressed at the same time that a girl so young could accept the consequences of the real world so… calmly.

"I suppose you're right," he agreed.

"Maybe I should use my phantom warrior genjutsu first next time to draw their attention?" Mirai suggested.

"As long as we don't get detected, then sure."

* * *

Such was how their missions transpired over the course of several weeks. Several small splinter cells of Konoha shinobi targeted and destroyed Kusagakure points of interest. After the first week, it was even discovered that the country was indeed mobilizing in order to lead an assault in the coming future against Konohagakure. Their progress was being slowed, much to the benefit of the Leaf. Since the beginning of their covert campaign, the stocks of Kusagakure industry plummeted. Also taking sharp blows were the military production rates and the amount of income that entered the country. This hindered them from obtaining any excess funds and forced Jurou Hideyoshi to pour out his own money if he wanted his operations to continue. And so he did. Despite the slowing of the economy, Jurou kick started it once more by his own hands. This was after he met with the Seventh Hokage on diplomatic intentions where he requested aid in capturing the culprits behind the destruction of his production facilities as well as the returning of the weapon stolen from Kusagakure. Naruto, being the nice person he is, agreed to help the Lord despite being the leader of the shinobi causing the damage. However, he refused to search for the weapon brought over into his country and prohibited Kusa-nin from entering to retrieve it. Naruto, encouraged by his advisors, believed that keeping Kusagakure in check would reduce the threat of war. That, coupled with the lack of aid from Konoha in discovering the ones behind the attacks, served to infuriate Jurou.

After about one month, it was discovered that the mysterious ninja that were spotted around the Fire Country were not the mercenaries of Ethuriel. They were Kusagakure shinobi in disguise. Although they weren't anywhere near Konoha itself, this action behind the Hokage's back increased tensions between the two countries. Therefore, Konoha did not yield their assaults, and Kusagakure was still clueless. As far as the raiding continued, there were fewer casualties. The infiltration parties became efficient in getting their assignments done without taking lives and being detected.

Akua hadn't realized it since she was too focused on dismantling the Grass country, but her birthday had already passed. It took messages that she saw on her phone a few days later to remember that she had actually turned 12. She received a week of vacation time from the front before returning for another mission, perhaps the most significant task she would take part in that year.

* * *

Hōfu was the name given to one of six mega-facilities, located on the western end of the Grass country. It was 300 total acres of land occupied by steels mills, construction and storage houses, laboratories, and an enormous, centerpiece production factory that dwarfed any of the other complexes Konoha destroyed. The factory was where all raw materials were processed and packed into crates to be stored. The mills themselves were connected to the main factory. Within them, metal was smelted and welded together for the mass production of ninja tools and larger weapons of destruction. In order to secure such a larger area, a legion of shinobi were required, not including the workers themselves. There were perhaps about one thousand Kusa nin scattered across the facility. Despite these impossible odds, Akua's team walked right through the front door.

Since the Grass country requested aid, rather than going through the trouble of maneuvering through their defenses, Konoha decided to send their shinobi in through the escort of Kusa. Once inside, they were stationed in separate spots well out of the range of the structure of importance, the factory. It seemed that there was a lack of trust apparent between the two countries. "Mission Control checking in. Leaf One, do you copy?"

"Leaf One, Hishiro, reporting in."

"Leaf One, Akua, reporting in."

"Leaf One, Mirai, reporting in."

"Golden! What's the status?"

Hishiro spoke up. He checked around for any nearby Kusa nin. "We've successfully infiltrated but there's been a mishap."

"What is it?"

"We've been split up. And I can sense that we're on different ends of Hōfu," Akua informed.

"Goddamnit!" They could hear the crashing of a fist on a desk.

"Stay calm Mission Control," Hishiro said.

"Yea, Leaf One has got this under their belt!"

The team adapted to the new mission conditions with ease. There wasn't much difficulty to it. Each member was able to produce a decoy and guide themselves within the shadows of the facility, but had to wait two hours until it was dark enough. Akua was the closest in proximity to the factory and was able to sneak her way into the industrial building. From her vantage point she was able to see the several floors, walled off sections and inner mechanisms that steamed and clanked around. The entire interior had the glow of magma painting the walls and tinting the atmosphere, produced from the tempering of metals. After crossing the threshold, it became difficult for her to breath. The chemical mist within the building was stifling, and regardless of the intense heat, there was a chill down her spine. "Mirai, Hishiro, are you two ready?"

"Yea I'm on my way, Shrimp," Mirai reported.

"I've begun planting," included Hishiro.

"Alright." Akua turned and leapt down to one of the balconies against the wall with feather feet. " _I'll start prepping the bombs as well_ ," she thought. The girl had to be careful though. Kusa nin were stationed on every corner down below. She would have to be as subtle as she had ever been in order to accomplish anything. She treaded without a sound, her movements swift. Her chakra was suppressed and undetectable, used only to provide a cushion underneath the soles of her sandals. The monstrosity of size the factory possessed was used to her and her team mate's advantage. Size meant that there was more space for the Kusa nin to search and more places for the Konoha nin to conceal themselves.

Akua positioned explosive tags that melted into the surfaces they were planted upon. She was able to tip toe her way around guards to each specific location required of her flawlessly. Within ten minutes she had completed her portion of the task and was ready to rendezvous with her team, but the ship of her elusive concealability sailed.

The Uchiha girl advanced across the high balcony like a ghost when three kunai zipped through the air with the intent to kill. The tips of the knives hit the wall like darts. Her eyes immediately drew themselves towards the projectiles as she was able to stop, lean back and allow them to pass by only inches away. Had she reacted a split second later her face would've been skewered. The sound of splitting air continued, and Akua backflipped several times to safety, followed by a barrage of the deadly knives, each one sinking deep into the solid stone walls. She landed in a position knelt on one knee, able to release her breath when she heard the ruffling of clothing. Her head tilted up to witness the individual who was present, shrouded in all black. It was as if there was a blank void of a silhouette standing before her. To Akua's right were large window panels, and when the light beams of the watchtowers passed, she was able to make out the details of the cloaked, phantom figure.

Akua wasn't able to determine the gender of this individual, their attire didn't permit it. The feet were covered by dark close-toed boots and on the legs, shinobi pants of a similar color. The features of their upper body were a mystery as it was hidden underneath a cloak that extended down to the beginning of the thighs. All she could see was the coat that rested underneath it. The individual had black gloves and a harness around their waist that appeared to hold a weapon. Physically, this person wasn't as tall as the average Kusa-nin and didn't seem very muscular. They bore no signs of village affiliation either. Akua scoured her brain for an answer as the enigma lifted their head. The hood they wore revealed the full obsidian mask that covered their face, resembling a human skull. It fashioned sharp edge details and contours but was flat around the mouth area, bearing no teeth or any signs of a mouth itself. Blank white highlights glided across its surface when the source passed over. Akua wasn't able to tell whether or not the eye holes were covered or hollow, but that didn't matter. It was the most sinister shinobi besides Tanoshimi that she'd ever come across.

Akua was putting the pieces together now. This person bore no affiliation to a village. They were able to detect and uncover her location with ease, a feat that was virtually impossible by any of the Kusa ranks to achieve. Furthermore, their grace and proficiency with the kunai was inhumane. This could only mean that this shinobi was from the Genesis Program. " **Konoha shinobi weren't supposed to come near the factory** ," the male voice grated through the breathing holes of the mask, distorting its true sound to one that rattled the bones of the weary. " **You don't belong here, girl**."

"I was… I saw something suspicious so I decided to follow it here…"

" **Heh, don't lie to me**."

Akua was close to falling short with her reaction time when the sound of sharp, clashing steel rung. The Genesis shinobi had drawn his weapon and cleaved his weapon down upon the knelt girl with inhuman speed. The blade of a wakizashi and Akua's ninjato grinded against each other. "W-What are you doing..! This is.. A violation between Kusa and Konoha's agreement!" She was being overpowered, even though she had her palm against the other end of her ninjato. The masked individual's sword was weighing down on her now.

" **I don't take orders from Kusagakure**."

Akua couldn't overcome this strength. She broke the clash and rolled out of the way of the chopping blade. When it bounced against the floor of the balcony she swiped her right arm, slicing across the figure's waist. But when the action was completed there was no one there. Akua's acute senses tingled her skin and she jolted her eyes upwards to the airborne roundhouse kick that crashed into her left temple. The girl's body whipped to the right, and the side of her head parallel to the level of her eye collided directly into the balcony railing. Her brain beat against the walls of her cranium and in a dizzy haze, she stumbled back with her rear hitting the ground.

"Hey! I heard some noise over the microphone, what's going on on your ends?" Mirai whispered with a notch up in her voice. The girl was busy planting her bombs.

"It's all clear over here," Hishiro chimed in.

"Akua?" Mirai called, "Akua!" She tried to make her voice as low yet as audible to the microphone as possible. "Fuck it, Hishiro, I'm heading over there."

"Alright, I'll continue the preparation, be there in a sec."

Akua's hand matted the ground until she was able to grasp the hilt of her ninjato, not comprehending the voices of her comrades in her head. Her right hand was against her temple. She had to wipe the blood spilling from the gash near her eyebrow. It was definitely going to need stitches if she survived this battle. The future didn't seem too bright for her. The world was spinning now, and she could barely make a clear image of what was in front of her for a moment. She didn't understand why this person was allowing her to recuperate either. Genesis shinobi were taught to be relentless in combat. It was decided that the way she was now would result in her death. Therefore, it was time for her to act. Akua's eyes shut while she rose to her feet. Once settled, she finally came to her senses and opened her eyelids, revealing the morphing of violet to crimson. Akua's Sharingan bloomed to life with the three signature tomoe spiraling around her pupils. There was an unmatched, natural-burning fury in the hues that made up her iris. " **Such, beautiful eyes…** "

Their blades clicked and clashed against each other upon the balcony. The male assailant was ruthless with his strikes, hammering down against Akua's ninjato. The impacts sent vibrations crawling up her arm and caused an uncomfortable ringing in her eardrums. Her movements were noticeably slowing due to the head trauma she sustained. Each parry lead to the individual bashing Akua's sword out of the way and throwing her off balance, only for her to have to struggle and regain her composure. The male, who had a physique not much different from her own was advancing upon her. Akua switched her method of combat after the last slash and focused on the offensive, charging with wild swings at her opponent. Her crimson eyes trailed the individual wherever they went and he mocked her by simply evading her sluggish strikes. Everything was occurring rather quickly. Only a few seconds had passed since this person spoke. The grunts of Akua's voice as she attacked and the noise of steel were the only present sounds. Luckily, the two drew little attention towards themselves. The guards weren't able to hear them at their altitude underneath the pressing steam, the roaring of generators and the tireless work of machinery. Furthermore, the area was large enough to devour the sounds they did make.

The individual shrouded in the darkness of his clothing decided to no longer give Akua the benefit of the doubt. Upon their next clash, he slacked his wakizashi and allowed her momentum to pull her towards him. The male stepped around her as she fell forward and stopped the girl with the gut wrenching strike of his knee, followed up by the rebounding of his roundhousing shin. Akua was able to use her forearms to protect herself but was thrown onto her back by the force of impact, sprawling out against the balcony. Her head was spinning again, and it became harder for her to keep her eyes open and focused. " **Tell me… what do you actually see with those eyes of yours?** "

Akua scooted along her backside to sit up and get distance all the while trying to suck in enough air to breathe. "…W-Who the fuck are you…"

The black leathery material of the individual's gloves tightened around the skin of Akua's neck. She clenched her teeth and her face twisted in fright at the sudden drop in her oxygen intake. Her mouth opened, desperately trying to fill her lungs. The crimson of her sharingan seemed to be bleeding out into her sclera by the way her eyes became bloodshot during her struggle. Her attacker thrusted his arm and knocked her back into the floor repeatedly before pressing her against the cold metal. She watched his upper body descend, leaning over while she searched the balcony for her weapon with one hand, and his wrist in the other. She was gasping now, and his polished black mask was in her face. Her sharingan tightened as he got closer. " **Why would that matter to YOU of all people.** " He slammed her again, rocking the entire length of the balcony.

"W-What are you…" she forced out of her collapsing throat, "a-are you talking… ab-bou-t..!"

" **I don't know. What am I talking about? Hm?** " His head lifted with his mask in ponder.

Akua was too busy suffocating to respond. Her face flushing to a dull purple from the abundance of deoxygenated blood in her system.

" **Perhaps I should give myself a name. This outfit is quite new after all.** " He was speaking to himself at this point. " **Nothing too complex… A nickname or alias of some sort… Ah I know…** " His head returned to gaze down through the empty eye sockets of the mask. " **Do you think Kuro Hensō is simple enough? I think it has a nice ring to—** "

He was interrupted by the swipe of Akua's ninjato across his form. However, he was able to anticipate and evade, using Akua's neck to vault himself over the blade and front flip to his feet. The girl spit up a quarter pint of blood as she rolled over to her stomach. This was followed by her returning to her own feet.

" **Your technique is dull and sloppy. Perhaps Konoha's softened you up too much.** "

"Shut your mouth… you don't know a thing about me!" She growled. Akua charged with a newfound willpower and cleaved her ninjato down. But it was stopped short, her wrist was caught by her opponent. At that moment his weapon swung around only to have his wrist caught by her free hand.

" **Is that so…?** "

Akua's eyes narrowed, not only in anger, but she was trying to reduce the amount of wavering opponents she was seeing. The were in a stalemate face to face. Akua attempted to use this proximity to her advantage. " _Sharingan!_ " Her eyes widened and flashed with the hypnotic glow unique to the scarlet eyes. The tomoe were nearly swallowed by the light.

" **Stunning as they may be… those useless eyes won't work on me…** " Akua learned the answer to her previous question. The eye sockets were in fact hollowed out for the male to see. And through them he combatted the gleam of Akua's eyes with the twin, blood red hues that ignited beneath the mask through the shadows cascading his face.

In that instance, Akua found herself in an endless, pitch black plane with only a white horizon line in the distance. When she looked down towards her feet, she saw the ripples of liquid around her ankles. What was more disturbing was the blank, contrasting figure that wavered in the dark ocean, appearing before her after she blinked. It was her shadow, but instead of it being an absence of light, her shadow was light. In fact it completely was void of any color, pure white. She deduced that was in an inverted reality of negative space. Even her own body was affected by the black and white contrasts. But it was no domain of her own. The shadow stretched far and wide. The physical laws governing the normal world didn't exist here, and the white silhouette body painted the sky. From it, a being peeled from the walls of the plane to release a ghastly, howling screech that shook her very soul from the bearings of her body. Her heart was a frozen block of fear.

Akua's experiences continued with her reactions carried over into reality. She threw herself back and crashed into the ground holding her eyes. Her ninjato clamped against the balcony and slipped off the edge. It hit a series of objects that led its trajectory into a bath of molten steel. Screams of terror ripped themselves from an already damaged throat, and the helpless girl rolled along the ground as her mind was infected and tampered with. "… **they won't work on me, at least the way you are now.** "

"Get away from her!" Mirai suddenly shouted. The girl swooped down and threw a slashing fist with her trench knife that forced the cloaked individual to gain some distance. "You certainly don't know how to treat women," she teased, continuing her rescue. Her humor was short lived. Hensō wasted no time. He had already made his way past Mirai and dragged his blade across her back which forced a yelp from her. The slash split open her flak jacket and sliced a bursting line of blood down her skin. Mirai endured that pain, however and used her spinning left heel to knock Hensō's weapon out of his hand. Therefore, he switched to taijutsu. All of her trench knife jabs were either dodged, or redirected by his palm. Every once in awhile she would be overwhelmed by his martial arts efficiency and be jarred around by the blows of his fists. Mirai's body was durable though, and she continued her fast hands. Yet Hensō anticipated and reacted to each strike with little effort as he backed up against the balcony. The thudding of Mirai's halted limbs in the middle of her attacks was then devoured by rumbling of a nearby explosion.

The earth quaked from the destructive aftermath and the entire factory's foundation shook. Both Mirai and Hensō had to brace themselves against the rattling balcony. This gave Mirai a period of rest to take in the appearance of her mysterious opponent to which she was startled. The bright, superheated metals below them emitted a light that reflected off the obsidian of the mask. It was like she was staring into the face of a demon from the deepest abyss in hell. " **Another Konoha shinobi in the factory they were specifically told not to be…** "

Mirai was on her hands and knees now. She had not noticed it until now, and she was reminded that hot air rises. The boiling, thousand degree pot of material below them stifled the atmosphere she breathed. The sweat was dripping down her face and hair, and her skin was tinted with her burning blood. Clearly exhausted, the girl never took her eyes off of her opponent. "Are you insane…" she huffed. Another series of eruptions sounded. Below them was the raiding force of the unknown bandit shinobi. "…we were here to help you idiots because of them!" she lied. To any other person it would seem that attacking the Konoha shinobi was the wrong thing to do, but there were no signs of emotion or regret in Hensō's mannerisms. His mask tilted as if he was gazing down below.

Kuro Hensō casually reached his left arm across his body to catch Hishiro's sudden fist, almost disregarding his presence. Mirai wasn't even able to see the Anbu arrive, and she was staring in that direction the entire time. " **Now now…** "—his fingers clenched around Hishiro's cracking knuckles—" **those shinobi down there… they don't look too menacing,** " he responded to Mirai. None of the past few seconds seemed real to her. There was no way he should've been able to detect her teammate. The disbelief was written all over her expression. She saw the way Hishiro's teeth clenched in irritation. There was a flash of steel as the chokuto in his left hand cut across where Hensō head was. All he did was slice air. The masked individual ducked spun clockwise to his right, unravelling the reach of his left arm. He then proceeded to bury his right elbow into Hishiro's ribcage, deflating his diaphragm. The expelling air in the Anbu's chest forced his mouth open, only to be beaten into by the back of Hensō's palm. The material of the Anbu mask dented into his nose. Before Hishiro could react to that, he was stricken with another attack, launched by an extending sidekick just as the sweeping of his sword cut fully across. Everything in that moment happened within three seconds and on the fourth his back was hurtling towards the platform of the balcony. He immediately caught himself in a backflip and landed in a crouched position with his chokuto braced in front of him, preventing the painful collision

" _This guy…he's not a normal shinobi…_ " the Anbu speculated.

" **They look more like an illusionary diversion to me…** " the individual continued. " **I wonder why that might be.** "

Mirai was silent. Her genjutsu didn't seem to affect him.

"Tsk… why don't you go find out?" Hishiro instigated. He decided to launch another assault, but his body wouldn't allow it. His muscles were frozen solid within the piercing heat. His legs and arms were trembling. It confused him until he realized why his body wouldn't do what he was telling it to. He was staring directly into the mask's eye sockets, empty except for a bloody crimson gleam in each. Hishiro's own eyes beneath his mask widened in witness of what he was looking at, although he couldn't comprehend it. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face due to the fact that he was virtually defenseless. The only part of his body that was overworking was his climbing heartrate.

" **You look a little pale,** " Hensō commented. He was now crouched with his forearms rested and hanging inward over his knees, shining that gleam against Hishiro's damaged mask. " **Weren't you going to do something?** " he mocked. " **Now's your chance.** "

Hishiro gulped. He couldn't even move his jaw under the spell of paralysis. All he could see was his distorted reflection in the shining black canvas where the individual's face would be.

" **I guess not.** " Hensō glanced behind himself to Mirai and then back towards Hishiro before he stood up and spoke again. " **You two have ruined my will to fight. And they call you shinobi… heh.** " His footwear clicked against the steel balcony as he walked past Hishiro toward the girl he had laid on the ground behind him. " **Especially you.** "

Akua was collecting herself against the floor, trying to slide away from the approaching enemy. Her right eye was covered by her palm, but the dull red in her left eye was visible. Her teeth gritted together.

The individual simply walked passed her as well, but she didn't dare to turn to see him. That was until he said, " **The other two are irrelevant… but you… know that you live today so that you can be of use to me in the future… Akua.** "

Her chest throbbed. She turned and stumbled to get up against the rail. "You… how do you know my name!"

There was no response other than the ceasing of the individual's movement. He offered one last glance that forced goosebumps out of Akua's skin.

"What did you do to me… how did you negate my..!" She was becoming frustrated now. "Answer me!"

No response. He walked towards the location of his Wakizaki, picked it up from the floor, and then climbed the rail. Portions of the factory were crumbling in now. Eruptions blasted the hinges from molten steel containers, causing them to thud against the floor they were on and release the heated materials onto collateral objects. Machinery was either destroyed in the explosive forces or crushed by the flailing parts of another mechanism. Akua with her weak, mentally tortured body staggered after Hensō, but he had already tilted over the ledge. The girl arrived and fell against the rail where he had stood only moments ago, reaching down while he disappeared into the chaos.

Tunnels of combusting material drilled through the structures of the factory. The alarms of the compound were blaring, and instructive announcements were being made. The forces of Kusagakure were combatting the illusionary bandits. "Can we get the hell out of here..?" Mirai complained. Hishiro suddenly caught himself from collapsing; the paralysis had worn off.

"Fuck..!" he cursed. The Anbu glanced back at Akua for a moment to examine her condition. She sat with her back against the rail with her head tilted down and a blank expression on her face; her Sharingan was already deactivated. He then examined Mirai. She was just able to get to her feet but was thrown against the rail by the unstable rumbling of the factory. "Mirai, can you run?"

"Yea I'm fine… this wound is nothing..!" she boasted. The pain across her back was crippling, but she refused to admit it. "A couple stitches would be nice though… and some pain killers…"

"I don't think Akua is doing well… who the hell was that guy though? He was…"

"I don't know but he's gone now, so let's be thankful and high tail it outta here. Pick up Akua and let's go."

Within a few minutes they were well out of the area of Hōfu. They could still see the active explosions, the collapsing building and the corona of citrine light that illuminated the night. They were resting upon an elevated branch in the forest, large enough to provide enough space for all three of them. They had a clear view of the spectacle only a few hundred meters away. "I think Akua's got a concussion, Mirai. She's not responding properly. We should call a medivac"—he turned his body a bit so he could see the girl behind him—"…"

"Do you know how to do stitches?" she asked, couched with needle in one hand and a cotton swab dabbed with rubbing alcohol in the other. She didn't seem to mind that her entire upper body was vacant of any type of clothing.

"Mirai! What the hell!" Hishiro reacted, covering his mask so he wouldn't be tempted to stare at her curvaceous, naked chest or the hourglass shape of her torso.

"I need to get this shit stitched before I bleed out and die okay?! And I can't reach my back at all, and the clothing is in the way so just shut up, take that hand off your face, and help me, ya pussy!" She thrusted the materials forward. "We don't have time for a medivac either. We're already suspects and they're out searching for us most likely so hurry."

"But…"

"What? Never seen a pair of boobs before? Geesh. C'mon, the wound is on my back so you won't even see'em!" She turned around and held her hands up above her shoulders.

"Are you turned yet?"

"Yes."

Hishiro complied. He took the swab and disinfected the deep wound, to which Mirai flinched and yelled. He then attempted to apply the stitches. His hands weren't very steady and he refused to touch her bare back. Mirai rolled her eyes because of how long he took. There was the occasional yelp, and gasp at the pain of the needle sticking through her skin. Hishiro might have done more harm than good, but the wound was closed now. Mirai was able to wrap her torso in bandages and proceeded to return the clothing to her body.

"Alright," she said, "let's go home."

The next couple of days was a recovery period for the team. They were allowed to recuperate at their rest stop before they returned to Konoha. Akua was quite mute during that time, however. The most she did was apply the ointment Boruto gave her to the wound near her brow twice a day. She and Mirai were given an extended leave due to injury and Hishiro was eventually deployed once again soon after. From this point on, the tensions would only increase.

* * *

Jurou Hideyoshi sat comfortably in a personal lounge room located in his palace that he also used for one on one meetings. It was fashioned with expensive velvet couches, platinum refrigerators, golden coffee tables, an indoor koi pond, and shoji screens along the walling with a mystical forestry theme. The person he welcomed into his abode wasn't phased by the pampered elegance of Hideyoshi's lifestyle. "So…" the Lord started, "you're the one Ginzen provided for us?" The man examined what appeared to be a boy cloaked in black attire, and a face covered by solid, onyx birthstone.

" **Precisely.** "

"That mask necessary?"

" **Yes.** "

"I don't like when people hide things from me," he informed, narrowing his eyes.

" **I don't believe that my appearance is of any importance to you. But I have information for you that is.** "

"Heh, pretty insightful aren't ye?" Hideyoshi removed the kiseru, or thin tobacco pipe and expelled the smoke from his nose. "Then what did you find out?"

" **I believe Konoha is behind the incidents regarding your industries.** "

"…I see… the conniving bastards."

" **That's all I have to say.** "

"Do you have any proof?"

" **I encountered them in the Hōfu factory a few days ago. The intangible bandits that were terrorizing your properties were mere illusions. That's all the proof I have. Whether or not you take my word for it is up to you.** " Kuro Hensō turned towards the exit. There was a moment of silence before Jurou spoke up.

"Wait."

Hensō stopped.

"Tell Ginzen he'll get the support he wanted, the bastard."

The black cloak billowed as Hensō approached the door and exited the room after Hideyoshi's words.

Several hours later found the boy within the headquarters of the Genesis program in Kusagakure—the city was located northeast of Jurou's palace. He walked down the long, dark, narrow hallway, lit only by blue flamed lanterns. Upon entering the compound, his hood was removed and rested around his shoulders. He arrived at a junction with a high ceiling and mural glass ornating the roof, split into ten sections. The wide, circular space in front of him was empty except for the three different hallway paths. He intentionally stopped in the center. There was a presence behind him. " **What do you want, Tanoshimi?** " He didn't look back at girl.

"For you to take that stupid thing off your face. You sound like a goblin."

His shoulders relaxed in a sigh. The mask itself resembled a helmet more because of the fact that the crown of his head was covered rather that just his face. The lower half of the back his head was free however, and his black hair was tied into a ponytail, blending into the colors of the cloak he wore. He used both hands to remove the skeletal mask from his head and held it in his right hand. The frame of his ivory skinned face was visible from behind now. It was a stark contrast with all the black he wore. "Is this better for you?"

"Yes, much better. Now tell me, why'd you volunteer to go?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Just curious."

The boy turned his head to the right and gazed back at the girl. He was able to see her leaned against the wall with her legs crossed and her arms folded at her chest. For her, she was able to see his straight, unkempt black hair that spiked at the ends. He had front bangs that hung around his eyes. She was also able to see the three jagged scar marks along his face caused by some sort of clawed beast. There was one that split over his right eye, another that cut slightly longer down the corner of the socket and cheek bone, the third that basically curved with his jawline. His last distinct feature she saw was the bloody glow in his eye. It had a unique, shuriken-like design pointed straight in all four cardinal directions and a single dot between each leg that produced the light. The gleam of this design bled into the the rest of his iris that was colored a solid black. This was shared between both of his eyes. He turned his head back towards where he was faced and paused before answering Tanoshimi's question. "I wanted more opportunities to utilize these eyes of mine. I hardly get to when I'm around here."

"Well… did you?"

"Barely."

"Heh… I can tell you're hiding something. Who'd you run into?"

His chin anchored down near his neck. "Akua."

"Oh… you saw your big sissy? Don't tell me you were wearing that mask?!" her words were coated in sarcasm.

The boy didn't respond.

"Aw… I'm sure she would've enjoyed that reunion. You're a cruel one, you know."

He continued his pace down the center hallway before him as the white hair girl burst into a short fit of laughter. She didn't accomplish what she was trying to do however, getting under his skin. Very few things were able to do that anymore.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sure you've figured out who Kuro Hensō is at this point. But did you figure out the other bombshell about him?**

 **I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Again, I apologize for not double releasing today. If the next chapter isn't finished by Monday, I'll push the double release back to chapters 13 and 14 instead for June 18th. These two chapters will be the final installments of this bridging arc before the impending finale and anchor into the next major arc with chapter 15.**

 **Feedback is always appreciated. I enjoy reading and responding to your reviews. I also encourage some of the guest reviewers to make accounts so that I may respond to any questions you might have or you can follow me on deviantart or twitter. The names are the same as my pen name here.**

 **Fav/Follow/Review! See ya next time!**


	13. A Time for Gift-Giving Once More

**A/N: Hello everyone. I'm glad to be back here with another update. This will be the first chapter of the double release. The second will be out shortly after this one. As of the end of chapter 14, we will have officially gone through the material of the Naruto Gaiden manga, about Sarada, chronologically. That being said, there'll be a lot going on in these two chapters, so I advise you read steadily enough to take in all the details.**

 **Edit: I also wanted to mention that I'll be posting another picture to my deviantart at some point later today, so keep a look out for it! For those who don't know, my profile on that website is the same as it is here, "SynysterSketch".**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Ch 13**

 **A Time for Gift-Giving Once More**

At last, it was that time of year again in Konoha, within the midst of another frosty December. Sheer snow blanketed large portions of the Land of Fire, adding a seasonal touch to the sentiments of the current festivities. The week of the Rinne Festival was now among the citizens of Konoha, and this year, Akua was able to experience the jamboree in its utmost magnitude. Pertaining to Akua's own feelings upon it, however, that was not the case. Despite the jubilee, cheer and seasonal tidings present amongst the Konoha natives, the girl was solemn, paranoid and distressed in all connotations.

Akua travelled through the snow-paved streets of Konoha alongside the boy whose presence she vastly cherished and enjoyed; Boruto. A dark colored winter-trench coat with fabric containing flecks of navy-blue hugged Akua's physique, the belt fastened over her stomach. Wrapped comfortably around her neck and tucked into the coat was a violet scarf that Hinata knitted for her over a year ago. The scarf was kept safe within Akua's wardrobe in anticipation of the colder seasons. The coat extended down to her thighs, covering the white pair of shorts she wore, yet predominantly revealing her purple stockings. Moreover, Akua had high, open-toed boots that stopped just under her knee for her footwear. Since times were becoming brisk, Akua elected to keep her ebony locks strayed down instead of being pinned up, in order to maintain warmth for the sides of her face.

Boruto was dressed in black attire consisting of calf-high sandals, long pants and a black winter coat to match. The rim of the hood being covered with fur was kept down to his shoulders. The coat was zipped up to his chest yet still exposing his bolt necklace worn around his neck, whilst a white shirt with a black collar underneath his coat was also apparent. The boy strode with his hands warmly kept in the pockets of his pants as he gazed over at the girl to his left. However, Boruto was not focusing on her pair of eyes in which he thought stopped the world in place, just so in turn it could witness them, not this time.

"Boruto… why are you staring at me like that…?" her eyes shifted back and forth between looking at him and watching where she was going. Akua made an attempt with her scarf to hide the fact that an involuntary blush of red began to flush her cheeks.

"It's the scar that was near your right eye," Boruto mentioned with a smirk, "I think it's completely healed now… disappeared in-fact!"

"Really?" Akua chirped, as she hadn't payed much attention to the scar ever since her return.

"Yea," Boruto's eyes affixed upon her complexion, "Now Ku-chan's skin is as flawless as ever again!"

"Oh please," Akua looked away. "It's all because of your ointment. You helped me out for sure."

In reality, Akua was counting on him to take her mind off of what had been bothering her for weeks on end. But no matter how much she tried to ignore it, she was constantly reminded. Each day, a familiar voice would replay in her head, " **...** _ **so that you can be of use to me in the future."**_

Akua had no idea what it meant. Furthermore, she tore herself apart thinking about who that voice belonged to and how the individual knew her name. Whilst her mind battled against itself, it was simultaneously saying no to the ideas that plagued her in defence. But her heart was telling her otherwise. In moments of deep thought, Akua would zone out. All audible perception of the outside world vanished for extended periods of time. It took a significant jolt to bring her back to reality.

"Ku-chan... Ku-chan… Ku-chan… KU-CHAN!" Boruto called progressively louder.

Akua's head sprung up in a startled daze. "Wah..!"

"Are you alright? You seem a bit…off lately." Boruto's eyebrows furrowed.

"No, no, it's nothing, I'm fine," she replied, hiding behind a fake smile.

The two young adolescents were located in the midst of the Rasen district. Every year, that particular part of Konoha was recognized as the center of the holiday season. Although other districts had their fair share of decorations, everything was centrifugal to Rasen itself. It was home to the abundance of bright, multicolored lights, public shows of seasonal music, theatres and plays, festival games and food stands. Floral decorations also supplemented the warmth of the gift-giving atmosphere within the chill of the beautifully white snow. The Rasen district was the center of attention where everyone felt that it was indefinitely the Rinne Festival no matter which corner they turned. In addition, Rasen was the area of the city where all the special sales were located, which is what Akua and Boruto were primarily there for. Much thought went into the gifts that the citizens were preparing for their loved ones. Boruto and Akua were planning on getting something for each other as well, but they refused to admit it at all. Neither of them knew that the other was on their mind in terms of the gift giving for the season. The pair gradually made their way into one of the megastores, searching for items to give to the _other_ person they had in mind.

Akua found herself the clothing section, searching through the collection of female sweaters, trying to mask her true intention. She noticed Boruto sifting through racks of clothing in the same area as well, watching him pull out and examine a small blouse. She was glancing over at him from the corner of her eye. "Hey… who's that uh… who's that for?"

"I-uh… it's for Himawari…" Boruto responded.

"Oh, that's good. She'd love a nice top."

"How about you…"—he continued, trying not to encounter her gaze— "those are for a girl right..?"

Akua gave him a slow nod.

"Oh, I see…" he seemed quite disappointed, but so was she. Their entire trip to the megastore complex was as awkward-filled as that conversation, and that's how it stayed until Akua's cell phone buzzed within her purse, being a small black bag with a dull leather handle long enough to hang down to her waist. She reached in to check her messages, tapped her thumbs and sent a reply with a ding. Her head tilted up to Boruto.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Yea, a little bit, do you wanna eat?"

"Mhm, Mirai said she was on her way here, do you wanna meet up with her and have lunch?"

"Mirai? Who's that again?"

"Mirai Sarutobi, you idiot! She's a friend of mine and the girl I always go on missions with."

"Mirai… Mirai… oh, I think I've seen her before at Shikadai's house."

"Yea, Shikamaru-Sensei used to be her teacher. I'm sure their families are well acquainted too, so what do you think?"

"Sure, let's go eat!"

"Alright, come on," she insisted with bright beaming eyes. Every time that Akua was alone, she would forget this was all it took to be free of the thoughts that troubled her to no apparent end. All that was required was being around people she cared for. The depressing state of mind that she fell into was swept away whenever she was around them. There was no true reason for her to be upset. Akua demonstrated her full emotional transition by the way she took Boruto's hand and ran with him throughout the megastore towards the food court. Her smile wasn't fake anymore. It exuded pure enthusiasm.

Mirai informed Akua that she could choose the restaurant that they went to, therefore she consulted Boruto as to where they would go. It was decided that lunch at the Yakiniku restaurant was the best and most agreeable. That was where they waited for a few minutes as hundreds of hurried people passed by, going about their Rinne Festival business. Eventually, Mirai approached from around the corner, surrounded by the crowd of individuals present in that area of the megastore. Akua almost didn't recognize her as she approached. She wasn't used to seeing Mirai without her shinobi gear on, so this casual outfit was out-of-character for her. She wore her hair in the same way she always did, except without a forehead protector. It was exceedingly thick and curly that it was almost impossible to style. However, it was soft and immaculate at the same time. Her torso was covered by a baggy beige button-up cardigan underneath an army green jacket which she left open and unzipped. Both of these articles of clothing extended to her thighs, the black mini skirt she wore underneath the cardigan was slightly visible, as it ended in the middle of her thighs. She had tight black socks stretched to their full length, covering her knees completely, along with her lower thighs, with only a few inches of her skin showing. Keeping her feet warm with the socks were a pair of tawny brown boots that were laced up a few inches past her ankles. The defining feature of her outfit was the maroon scarf that she wore loosely around her neck to the point where it covered some of her chest. It complemented the light and garnet hues of her eyes. Other miscellaneous things that Akua noticed were her black purse that she let rest behind her at her hips and her fingerless winter gloves. Overall, Mirai was quite the fashionable girl, something that would never be perceived by the way she carried herself as a shinobi. That was enough of the ogling of her attractive friend, she was now upon them.

"Well well well, Shrimp, I didn't know you were bringing a _friend_ …" Mirai immediately teased upon sight of the blonde haired boy. "Don't act like you don't know me, Boruto! It'd be polite if you said hello and introduced me to your girl here!"

"She's! You..! Bu-..! You know her too!" he babbled out.

"Ah ah ah… don't get all fussy now, I'm just jokin' with ya," Mirai grinned. Akua could tell she enjoyed terrorizing them. Mirai was taking pleasure in making these two young people embarrassed. Boruto's cheeks were burning up now and Akua attempted to stay silent. "So is this like a little date?" Mirai asked her. The Uchiha's heart stopped.

"No! We were just gift shopping for people…"

"Each other?" her lips curled.

"Stop it, Mirai!" Akua vexed.

"Alrighty alrighty," she relaxed, hooking their arms with both of her own. "C'mon now, let's chow down!"

The aroma of fresh, seasoned-tossed, grilled meat filled the nostrils of the group as they waited in anticipation for their server to arrive. Akua couldn't keep herself from salivating in the midst of all the euphoric steam and crackling flavors. The people around their booth were preparing their meat and gorging it down their throats. The ambiance of the restaurant was an isolated island of traditional decor amongst the sea of urban convergence around it. Despite the commotions of the bustling crowds of passerbyers on the outside, it was quiet but for the chatter of customers and the heavenly sounds of hot grills. Moreover, the gentle melodies of koto music soothed the nerves. When focusing on these little aspects, Akua was able to sit next to Boruto without being embarrassed by Mirai's hawking eyes across the table. "Hey, Shrimp," Mirai called.

"Huh?"

"Your lip," she gestured with her finger. A drop of saliva threatened to escape from it.

"Ah!" she yelped, wiping her mouth clean. "I'm just a bit hungry…"

"Wait, why does she call you Shrimp?"

"Cause she's a shrimp!" Mirai focused in on Boruto. "And you… how old are ya?"

"I'm 11 right now, why?"

"You're even more of a shrimp," she declared, "you're a lil' Shrimp!"

"Don't call me that!" He folded his arms in irritation.

"Haha, don't worry, I'm just kidding. That nickname is only for Akua."

"Hmph!" Akua fussed.

In due time their waitress approached their table with a notepad ready to take their order. Akua and Boruto decided to save money and split a 24-piece kobe sirloin steak entree with two side orders of rice. Mirai, much to the surprise of her company, elected to order the shrimp entree. A wide grin spread upon the girl's face when Akua eyed her. The waitress then collected drink orders, Akua's being water, Boruto's a soda, and Mirai with her order of the fruit punch. Their menus were collected and the woman bowed before scurrying off to retrieve their beverages. They were aware that she would also return with their cooking materials soon after, therefore they switched the grill on and allowed it to warm up while they waited. With the heat increasing in front of them, they decided to remove their outer wear. Akua and Mirai took off their scarves and coats, and Boruto zipped his jacket.

Boruto glanced over to the girl sitting next to him, and when her scarf and coat came off, he noticed something astonishing. It was the amethyst birthstone that rested comfortably within the cotton of her white, turtleneck sweater. The two females were distracted by the waitress returning to the table with their drinks which allowed him time to gaze at the benevolence of the jewel and the girl whose eyes and appearance complemented it so well. He didn't realize the blush on his cheeks. He frowned now. Akua's body turned, but now it was back. It's crystalline beauty was dilating his pupils. "Boruto?" Akua's voice pulled him out of his trance, "why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?!"—she pressed against her cheeks—"Or my chin?!" She rubbed her chin.

"No I… I just saw that you're still wearing the necklace I got for you, ya know…" He scratched into his blonde hair and darted his eyes away.

"Oh,"—Akua held up the clean cut gem between her index and thumb—"you mean this? I wear it pretty much everyday actually…" It was held closer to her chest now.

"Shrimp! C'mon now, you never told me he got you a necklace! Ooh, when was this?"

"I never told you because it wasn't necessary," her eyes narrowed and shifted away from the other two. "And it was last year, if you really need to know…"

"I… I… didn't know you liked it that much," Boruto's grin started to emerge.

"I don't like it, idiot…"

He was shocked out of his warming expression.

"I love it."

His heart skipped a beat then started to pound for a different reason. He now knew what he was going to get for her this special Rinne Festival. Although the days were dwindling down, there was still enough time to acquire what he wanted for her.

The next minute was defined by the waitress returning once again to their table with the contents of their meals ready to be prepared. For Boruto and Akua, 24 thick, bite-sized pieces of raw sirloin steak strips were seasoned on a platter and ready for grilling. The next platter to be placed down was Mirai's 10 pieces of shrimp. Now _her_ mouth was watering. The soups and salads were placed, followed by three bowls of rice, a mix of vegetables to grill and an assortment of sauces to marinade the meats. Everything came out to about 700 ryō which was amazing for such a large meal.

Stomachs were growling and the time came for grilling. Slices of meat and curls of shrimp were thrown onto the yakiniku to simmer while they sustained themselves on their salad and soup appetizers. The rice was saved to be eaten with the meat when it was finished. The rest of the afternoon was filled with the taste of savory sirloin melting against the tongue, the rich flavor of freshly grilled shrimp, and the joyful laughter of three kids enjoying themselves as they fooled around the stove. However, there was one individual so far who was not experiencing the merriment of the Rinne Festival within his own city.

* * *

The Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki pressed open the doors to the large, dim-lit meeting room beneath the base of the Shinobi Union headquarters in the Land of Iron. All four other Kage were in attendance awaiting his arrival. From the Land of Wind hailed the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara of the Desert. From the Land of Earth hailed the Fourth Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi Kamizuru. From the Land of Lightning hailed the Fifth Raikage, Darui. Finally, from the Land of Water hailed the Sixth Mizukage, Chōjūrō. Each sat next to each other at a long jade table tinted exclusively by the light above. Their headwear was organized before them and facing the doors across the room. The kanji, 忍, for Shinobi was carved into the structure of the table for those who entered to see. Naruto's headwear was the only one missing, however he took his center seat amongst the other Kage when he entered. Around the Five Shadows sat delegates from about eight other nations, four on either side. Each delegate was accompanied by two bodyguards. They were present to hear the proposals of their members.

Shibōjiko Hideyoshi stepped down to face the assembly once everyone was settled. This was the appointed leader of the city Kusagakure whom worked directly under his father, Jurou. He was wearing a green-shaded traditional outfit similar to that of Jurou's style except it was more suited for combat; steel plated chest and shoulder armor pieces were attached to his haori. Furthermore, he had similar yet younger and more handsome features to that of his father with his hair completely pulled back into a short, low ponytail. The room fell silent from chatter as he rose to the platform at the center of the meeting room. He scanned around his small audience to meet the piercing gazes of his peers. Some of them didn't even acknowledge his presence; he was considered the rookie of the group. He held his wrist behind his back, lowered his head to gather his thoughts and then raised it, waiting for his cue to speak. The Mediator gave him the clear. "Good afternoon leaders of the Union," he articulated. "Today, I come before you all to discuss controversial matters of crucial importance to me, my city, and my country."

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"I'm sure most of you are aware of the tribulations that have riddled my homeland. If not, I shall willingly grant you this knowledge today."

The Gokage seemed rather interested in what he had to say, all except for the Hokage.

"On November 18th, 1143, the major industrial facility of Hōfu, located within the western region of the Land of Grass, was attacked and utterly destroyed. This, however, was just one component of a series of assaults that have taken place since the end of August. Each target similar to the last. It appeared to be limited to the manufacturing centers of the Grass Country. As a result, the destruction of these production and storage facilities has led to the sharp decline in the economy and the people of the land struggle because of this."

"So what are you asking for, boy?" interrupted Kurotsuchi, the Tsuchikage, "Subsidies to your nation because you can't handle a bunch of terrorists?"

"Not quite. My father has went out of his way to the support the country from the funds of his own pocket."

"Maybe if your father's pocket wasn't so heavy, the Land of Grass wouldn't be in such a predicament in the first place," the Kazekage added.

"With all do respect, Kazekage, your commentary on the assets of my father are unnecessary. The contents of his purse are of no concern to you."

Gaara was vexed by his condescending tone.

The Hideyoshi continued, "As for your assertion, Tsuchikage, the culprits of these crimes are not your normal terrorists. In fact, I'm absolutely certain that the one behind these attacks is here now, sitting comfortably among us." His head turned to the center. "Would you mind explaining yourself, Seventh Hokage?"

Shibōjiko's bold accusation registered a collection of gasps from the delegates. The other Kage didn't seem phased by any of it. They were well aware of the truth.

"And where is the proof you've brought to support your claim," the Seventh demanded.

Shibōjiko gestured towards his head. "It's all right here."

"Preposterous!" The Mizukage blurted out, "How dare you accuse the Seventh without so much as a stepping stool to cement yourself!"

The Hideyoshi practically ignored him. "Identical to a majority of the assaulted sites were the personnel tasked with the objective to do so. However, culminating with the invasion of Hōfu, these assailants were rendered mere illusions. Their true identities were unknown. Furthermore, at Hōfu, we invited a group of Konoha shinobi to aid in the defense of the site. They were specifically told not to approach the main facility, yet approximately three hours into their stay, they were spotted within by one of our agents and even engaged him in combat. The destruction of the facility followed shortly after."

"And what if my Shinobi were simply doing what they were asked to do in aiding your country? I read the report. These "illusions" appeared around the same time the explosives in your factory went off."

"You're correct, however your argument is invalid, Seventh Hokage. One thousand shinobi were stationed on those 300 acres at every point of the perimeter and within. Furthermore there was a chakra barrier present around such a perimeter. A mass-genjutsu from the outside would not have affected my shinobi. The user would have to be present within the base itself to cast such a technique."

"You underestimate the capabilities of your attackers, Hideyoshi. And because of it, you blame the individual whom offered to help you, how disgusting," the Raikage pointed out.

The contemptuous chatter among the delegates towards Hideyoshi was halted by the slight raising of the Seventh's hand. "What do you suppose accusing me on a speculation will accomplish for you?"

"My purpose is to expose your tyranny, the long standing tyranny of the Five Great Nations to be exact," Shibōjiko declared, pointing towards the Gokage. "Your sly agenda of keeping smaller nations like my own 'in check' is a blatant abuse of your power, something that I will no longer sit back and allow."

"Tyranny? Heh, you're quite eccentric, young man. Perhaps being kept in check is something that a nation like yours needs in order to prevent conflict." The Hokage looked from side to side, addressing his delegates. "And unlike you, I have proof of your misdemeanors." At that moment, a screen descended from a mechanism mounted on the wall. Upon being switched on, several images were displayed in series. "As you can see by the dates and coordinates of these photos, Kusagakure shinobi have been crossing the borders of the Land of Fire, unauthorized. They've been here for quite some time, even before these alleged assaults that I'm accused of occurred. Furthermore, my Anbu Black Ops have discovered documents"—the screen switched over to them—"that reveal the militant plots against Konohagakure, signed by yours truly and his father."

"Don't you patronize me, Seventh, you know what you've been proceeding with," his voice raised. "You have property that belongs to Kusagakure and I demand that it be returned!" His index finger vibrated from the amount of strain he was applying in pointing it.

"Ah, the weapon we've deemed capable of mass destruction," the Hokage continued, "behold, my comrades, Konohagakure has come into possession of an experimental weapon in which Kusagakure intended to develop. Their intentions were further explained to us by a defector of the project itself, eyewitness account. Their plot was to utilize this creation to gain military foothold in the world, even if that meant displacing the peace we currently have. The identity of this source will not be revealed for the sake of their safety, but their research notes are available to be viewed."

Shibōjiko was seething.

"Now, am I really the person who should be accused here?" Naruto persuaded.

"Seventh Hokage. You _will_ repay the damages done to the Land of Grass and return what is rightfully ours." There was a stern look on the young man's face. Sweat rolled down temple and cheek as he spoke out in a room full of his seniors.

"Are you ordering me around, Shibōjiko Hideyoshi? That isn't how you ask nicely ya know."

"In light of these discoveries," General Mifune of the Land of Iron began, "I propose that necessary sanctions should placed on Kusagakure for violating Shinobi Union peace policies."

"What's your proposal?" the Tsuchikage inquired.

"I suggest that the privilege of Kusagakure's mandate to the Hōzuki Castle be revoked. All taxes to sustain the prison will no longer be levied against any hidden village, city, or country that wishes to house its fugitives there. Furthermore, the land will be confiscated from the jurisdiction of Kusagakure and be deemed a neutral territory."

"That's absurd!" the Hideyoshi roared, "The Hōzuki Castle is a significant component towards the function of Kusagakure's economy!"

"It cannot be helped. Consequences must be dealt for your actions."

The delegates murmured in agreement and their votes were casted, along with the votes of the Gokage. The decision was unanimously in Mifune's favor except for two small countries.

"Then it has been decided. The Hōzuki Castle will no longer be attributed to Kusagakure."

There was a long silence after the verdict. Shibōjiko had his head held down and his shoulders bounced in his chuckle. "So be it. Kusagakure refuses your verdict."

"That is unacceptable," Mifune argued, "countries within the—"

"Hear me!" boomed the young man. "In the name of the Feudal Lord Jurou Hideyoshi, I hereby withdraw Kusagakure and the Land of Grass out of this filthy Union. We will not give up the land of the Hōzuki Prison unless a compromise is made in regards to our… property. May the rest of you intermediate nations be abused by the iron fist of the Kage!"

The meeting room erupted in an uproar to the spitting of Hideyoshi's declaration. The man ignored the commotion however, and gathered his bodyguards to exit the meeting. Naruto was the sole individual who sat quietly amongst the tumult. Shibōjiko's resolve bothered him. There was an uneasy feeling in the stomach of the Hokage, one that he couldn't simply shake off. He felt distraught that the meeting had come to this. His intentions were to secure the peace in the world, not terrorize and force a member out of the Union. Naruto was no longer a naive young boy, however. As an adult, he now had to see the world as it really was. He had to do what was necessary to be done to ensure the prosperity that millions of shinobi over the 40+ years of great wars died for. Such people included his master, Jiraiya, and his parents, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. In order to protect these legacies, Kusagakure's advances had to be put down. Their greed would simply be an impetus to a world regressing back towards what it had been over a decade ago.

The Seventh Hokage rested his head in his palms and waited for the Mediator to conclude the meeting. The moments proceeding that found Naruto delivering his farewells and gathering his personal guard in preparation to depart from the Land of Iron. The Land of Fire was one of the select few countries with the budget to afford the construction of the newly designed airships. Instead of traveling all the way back to Konoha by foot, this aerial method was used and deemed more fitting for a political leader. These new designs were an advancement from the prototype Tobishachimaru, an airship that was brought down by the Ryūha Armament Alliance during Kakashi's reign as the Sixth Hokage. This new model was capable of hitting top speeds of 250 km/h. The Seventh Hokage boarded this vehicle in hopes that he would be able to return home in time for the remainder of the Rinne Festival.

* * *

The mountains in the northern region of the Land of Fire naturally bore ice caps at their peaks, but the weather of the season served to further emphasize them. On the ground, the temperature had dropped low enough for sandals to crunch along their path within the midst of a frosty white forest. Many of the trees had shed their leaves, leaving them naked to the elements. The bark stems that towered into the blank, sunless sky were the only modes of contrast besides large rocks or arching ridge of earth. "Why did they have to assign us this mission, ugh," complained Mirai.

"Because they needed someone to fulfill the request. We were the only team available," Akua replied.

"But it's the Rinne Festival!"

"That doesn't exempt us Mirai, you know that. Besides, the quicker we check this thing out the faster we'll get home for the end of the festival."

"Fine," she sighed. "Where are we now?"

The two girls stopped for a moment and Akua slid her backpack off to place it on the ground. She crouched and unzipped, obtaining the scroll that held the information Mirai had requested. It was unravelled, and a full map of the Land of Fire was shown. Akua's finger trailed from Konohagakure, situated towards the center of the country, to far north. It stopped at an average sized town called Tennosan with the flow of three rivers running through it. "This is where we were a couple hours ago."

"Yea, the people that requested the mission said they saw something odd going on around the mountains. There've also been cases of disappearances within the town. Are we even going the right way..? There are mountain ranges all over this place."

"We are," Akua replied with her index now shifting to the left across the paper. "They said due east around the highest peak."

"That isn't very specific."

"I know, but it's all we have. My guess is"—the tip of her finger stopped in a certain area—"we need to head toward Takaku mountain."

"Uh huh, why're you so sure all of a sudden?"

"Hm… maybe 'cause it's the tallest mountain around here?"

"Pft," Mirai folded her arms and looked away, "you don't know that."

"I'm positive. The mountain range it's apart of cuts into the Grass country and when I lived there, it was one of the locations of… my training. We never crossed the border, but I do know Takaku is the peak."

"Extraordinary kunoichi, expert cook and eater, and now a professional geographer,"—Mirai threw her arms up and let them fall to her sides—"what else can she do!" she joked.

"Please, I'm hardly any of those things," the Uchiha humbled herself.

"Sure, sure, now how close are we? I wanna hurry this up so we can skidaddle back home."

"Hm… judging by the distance"—Akua's head pivoted around until she caught a glimpse of what she was looking for— "we should arrive within an hour or so."

"Alright, are ya ready?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Silly Shrimp! You said this place is close to the border didn't you?"

The Uchiha nodded.

"Maybe we'll find some of those ninja sneaking around. Should be fun!"

"If that's the case, maybe we should get some help."

"Gah, no time, we'll be fine!"

Akua smiled, "Heh, whatever you say." She rolled the scroll back and tucked it into her bag once more before picking up and continuing the path. Akua adjusted the scarf around her neck as she followed behind Mirai. Securing the violet yarn of comfort was a priority. Any damage it sustained would devastate her. There was a subtle rush of adrenaline that pumped through her veins that put her on edge. On the other hand, she wasn't sure of whether the tingling sensation down her spine was from the wind chill or the unease she felt within.

There were no Kusagakure remnants within the area like they assumed, but the young girl of the pair did come across something interesting once they arrived at the base of the range. As natural for mountainous areas, the terrain became less situated with vegetation and abundant plant life. It was predominantly shifting towards more elevated, earthen structures. Akua gestured Mirai to halt for a moment while she examined the area. "I think this is the place, either that or we're pretty close."

"Then let's investigate."

The two split up in their own directions to find a clue or sign that would help the progression of the mission. However, this was difficult to do in the snowy tundra of the north. Keen eyes were required to uncover anything worth significance. The accumulation of frozen precipitate would've covered any tracks or erased further evidence of individuals having been there, if their presence was before any crystals touched the ground. If the activity was subsequent with the snow, then there might be something to uncover. "Akua! Over here!" Mirai called.

Soft ice packed underneath the girl's sandals as she made her way towards the voice of her friend, maneuvering through the bare trees. "Did you find something?"

Mirai was crouched with her fingers hovering above the white blanket on the ground. There were deep ridges within the surface that followed a specific pattern. "There are tracks. Footprints by the look of the soles. Leftover dirt from the base."

"Then this person's been travelling a while."

"That could be true, but these prints… the way the snow is right now, he wouldn't have been able to make such deep ones. Judging by the size it was probably a male. Must've passed through here when the snow was still soft a couple days ago."

Akua rubbed her chin. "Maybe this person has something to do with the disturbance. We should try to locate him."

"They wouldn't have gotten too far. I'm also assuming this man was elderly. There are circular tracks near the footprints, probably from some sort of walking aid. Cane maybe."

"Then let's follow the tracks, and don't let your guard down because they could be elderly," Akua warned, "they might still be a threat."

The two girls sprinted alongside the trail they discovered in hopes of finding this person since it seemed that they were the key to this riddle they were trying to solve. There was also the possibility that it was the opposite. Eventually, the trail they followed vanished all together. The only thing that it did was take them around the mountain range, on a first glance that is. The forestry was almost entirely left behind. Low beds of snow, solid stone and dirt defined the landscape. They also noticed that they were above the ground level for a couple meters. That was about the most they got out of following the prints. "Well," Mirai started, "there's nothing around here. That was disappointing."

"Wait, I wouldn't call it quits so soon."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Look." Akua pointed towards the presence of large, lone boulders along the path as well as some that were lodged against the trunks of tough oaks further down along the inclining slope. She descended a few meters to examine the collection of displaced rocks. The damage they did to the bark was visible when Akua pushed the stone out of the way. There were no signs of post vegetation or decay. "All these rocks, I don't think they were naturally a part of this terrain here. They look more like debris. I think they rolled down the side of the mountain."

"Ooh! Nice catch, Shrimp." Mirai leaped down to a soft landing. "The branches on these trees are free of snow too. The impact must've knocked it off. That means it occurred after the snow stopped falling." She then proceeded to sift along the ground. "Soft snow… there's way more here than there naturally would be. Some of it has even piled up to the trees, it's like a mini avalanche came down here and erased all the tracks."

Akua tilted her head up towards the left, the right and then into the sky. Steep, jagged slopes of the mountain range were visible from their position, as well as the peak. "We're right under Takaku too. The disturbance the townspeople were talking about probably originated from the mountains themselves."

"You think these rocks and the snow has something to do with it, Shrimp?"

She shrugged, "Who knows, it might. I think it's starting to add up. The prints, the rocks, the snow, everything is leading us towards the mountain."

Mirai clapped her hands together. "Seems like we're gettin' warmer, Shrimp!" She turned and vaulted into the air, landing upon an elevated platform of earth. "All we have to do is scale this mountain then until we find something! Let's hurry!" The teen soared once more. The enthusiasm of her partner resonated in Akua herself. A grin flexed her cheeks while she followed closely behind.

At about a kilometer high, the steepness of the mountain subsided, leveling off into a gradual sloped plane. The layers of snow were paper thin but almost twice as hard and served to provide minimal support or friction. Akua and Mirai had to be careful not to slip and slide down the slope and over the ledge. The chakra beneath their feet and at the tips of their fingers kept them grounded. Akua's hand grappled onto a sharp ledge. Pressure was applied by her weight and icy rocks broke away her griphold. The debris showered Mirai in a bath of small frozen fragments, to which she held her head down and out of the way. "Shrimp!" she yelled, "Watch where you're going!"

"I'm sorry!" That ledge however was a milestone. After the initial crumbling, the rest of it seemed sturdy enough for Akua to climb over and rest. Her back pressed against what felt like cold, flat but jagged stone. She turned around to see that it was indeed a set of stairs. "Mirai, come up here and check this out!"

Mirai poked her head from over the edge. "Huh? What is it—" She was cut off from the sight of her partner sitting up against a prehistoric staircase that scale upward along the side of the mountain. "Holy shit."

Akua was flashing her pearly whites in a wide smile.

"Question is," Mirai inserted, "should we go up or down?

"Well"—Akua turned to look behind her—"let's find out." She scaled up the staircase with care and disappeared around the curved corner. A few minutes passed before she crept back around. "Dead end."

Mirai groaned. They proceeded to follow the steps down into the opposite direction, but it didn't take long for them to encounter something interesting.

The stairs were carved directly out of the stone of the mountain and wrapped around its side. There was no uniform order of the path the steps laid out. The girls scaled up, down, left, right and round the ridges, crevices and valleys of Mount Takaku until they stopped all of a sudden. They were unaware that they were slightly higher than they were before but was was more important was what they saw below them. It was level ground, a rectangular courtyard of sorts, situated between the peaks of the mountain range with broken arches that were built to cover it. With their curiosity now approaching its pinnacle, the two decided to have a closer look about their new surroundings.

Several descending leaps lead to the crunching of sandals against an actual surface. A full coat of snow was present upon the stone floor, only disrupted in patches that were absent due to the arches. Fragmented pieces and pebbles were scattered about from the damaged structures. Decrepit urns and sacrificial altars with candles and corpses that had burnt out hundreds of years ago were placed about the perimeter. There were even archaic books with rotting parchment, written in ancient languages that predated any of the two females' knowledge. The corpses themselves reflected their frailty of age, crumbling to dust upon the slightest contact. "What the hell is this place," Akua questioned. She wasn't expecting much of an answer. Mirai was just as confused as she was.

"Hey Shrimp, look at this," Mirai insisted.

Akua put down the book she was holding and turned around to see Mirai in the center of the courtyard. "Did you find something?"

"Yea, more footprints. Little bit hidden by the snow but they're there." The tracks led from a doorway along one of the long walls of the yard to a doorway along one of the short walls which Mirai faced. Each one was a path that tunneled into darkness that they couldn't see beyond.

"Mirai," Akua whispered, "I'm sensing someone!" She pointed towards the door that her partner faced. The Sarutobi girl readied her trench knives in an instant. Akua reached towards her holster to withdraw a kunai. The chakra she felt was approaching from beyond the doorway. Despite the stiffening cold weather, Akua was sweating. Eventually the sound of hard sandals was heard along with another clicking that totaled to a pattern of three consecutive and repeating sounds. Then came the bottom half of a wooden cane, emerging from amidst the shadows. The two chunin refused to lower their weapons even when the feeble old man revealed himself to them.

"Now, now," he murmured in a fragile voice, "please, lower your p-ointy ends, I-I mean you no harm!"

* * *

The old man at first glance looked just as much like a relic as the other objects within the courtyard. His skin of his face was marked by the wrinkles and crow's feet of aging with scars that carved up his complexion. Long, unkempt strands of gray hung in his face, accompanied black bushy eyebrows and a mustache-beard combo that covered his lips, extending down to his waist. Frozen crystals of sweat and moisture hung from his overgrown hair. Everything about his face seemed to blend in except for his pale amber irises. The rest of his body was covered in several layers of thick black robes and cloaks in order to keep him warm. Furthermore, he carried a large travel bag on his back and several satchel pouches about his waist. The man halted his progress as he entered the light as to not aggravate the armed kunoichi in front of him. They didn't seem to budge. He proceeded holds his hands up and lower himself down to his weak knees. "Please, I beg of you to believe me I mean no harm, no trouble at all."

"Who are you? And why are you here?!" Akua burst out. The sudden questioning surprised even Mirai.

"Calm down Shrimp, it's just an old guy, like I guessed before."

"I said we can't let our guard down." She refocused on the old man. A thick, hail filled breeze carried through the mountains and pelted their skin. "Who are you…"

"M-My name i-s Shutsu-eji..!" Decades of stress and angst reflected in his breaking voice. "I was just here because of the occurrences going on around here..!"

"What do they have to do with you, Mr. Shutsueji?" Akua pressed.

"Well you see… I'm a nomadic priest and archaeologist… it's my passion to explore ancient ruins and discover new, primitive texts! I simply wanted to adventure to this area to discover the phenomena of these mountains… please I'm telling the truth!"

Akua's eyebrows lowered. Her ability to sense chakra was accompanied by the ability to tell whether or not people were lying. Irregularities in the heart rate weren't able to be detected, but she was able to perceive the fluctuations in chakra that it caused. She nodded her head in reluctant acceptance. "Then do you know what transpired here..?"

"…All I know is… there was something that resided here… and it's no longer here anymore."

"And… you had nothing to do with it at all…" the girl continued.

"No young child, I was simply passing by as I state prior. I even planned on exiting now if not for you holding your weapons to me…" he whimpered. Shutsueji's forehead was pressed to the cold snow along with his mitted palms.

"…Alright, then is there anything that we need to know…"

"T-The way towards the source of the disturbance is behind me if you wish to investigate, but be careful! It's quite spooky down there..!"

"Thank you for the heads up," Mirai finally said, breaking through the unnecessary wall of tension. "You may go now, sir."

Akua shot her a dirty look.

"M-much gratitude, young lady!" He rose from his position, tripping up once but catching himself. He then proceeded to exit the courtyard through the pathway on the long wall, retracing his own steps.

Akua didn't take her eyes off the man, nor let her guard down as he stumbled out of their way. It was at that moment when she witnessed something that she wished she didn't. It was a tarnished, golden dragon pendant that fell from beneath his black scarf. The Uchiha girl gulped down. Soon, he had entered the second pathway and disappeared within it's darkness. Mirai didn't budge until Akua did and Akua didn't budge until the man had gained an acceptable distance between them. She was able to sense each and every one of his slow, elderly trods. Ten whole minutes passed with Mirai calling her teammate's name before Akua decided to make that first and sudden step forward. She was heading with caution toward the path Shutsueji directed them to. "Shrimp…" Mirai called again.

"He lied."

"What do you mean?"

"About not having anything to do with the disturbances… he was lying."

"Then… if you knew that why didn't you interrogate him more? If I had known I would've helped… we should've apprehended—"

"No…we-we don't know what he's capable of. His chakra was… so disgusting and sinister. His entire act as an old man was just a shroud."

Mirai was starting to succumb to the weather now. "Well, at least we have his name and face."

"Yea," Akua agreed, now disappearing behind the shadows.

Mirai reached into her back utility pouch and withdrew a flashlight. It was required if the group was going to maneuver through what was actually a narrow, winding tunnel instead of a straight pathway. The light revealed to them the ground in which they walked and the various defenses mechanisms, some of which were still operational. They were travelling into the depths of the mountain itself. Eventually, the flashlight was no longer needed. They came towards an opening in which boiling magma flowed like a river in slow motion beneath the bridge of volcanic rock they walked across. In addition to producing its own light, geysers of molten rock spewed and debris from above crashed down to be seared away. A lack of ventilation within the chamber resulted in an abundance of poisonous carbon gases, which led the girls to hustle towards the other side. This discovery was puzzling to someone such as Akua who knew that Mt. Takaku had not registered any volcanic activity for centuries. Perhaps the mountain's instability was a consequence of the disturbances.

The next hallway they passed through was one of torch-light death. Pillars of one foot's width separated five meter long sections within the wall. Each of them were organized with rows and columns of human skulls that seemed to blend in with the stone over hundreds of years. Underneath them were collections of bones: femurs, ulna's and broken ribcages alike. It all twisted Mirai's stomach. She decided to lighten the mood. "…So… have you gotten Boruto's Rinne Festival gift yet..?"

Akua didn't register her voice until after a few moments. "Huh, wha?" She looked back towards the girl behind her.

"Boruto's gift?"

"Oh… I'm not very good with gifts… I just made him a new jacket similar to the one he usually wears. It's got those reddish pink stripes on the sleeves and the inside. I even got an Uzumaki symbol embroidered on the back. Do you think he'll like it?"

"If it's from you, I think he'd like anything, haha!"

"Oh shut up!" The two girls didn't realize they'd stumbled into a chamber, the source of what caused such unrest for the people of Tennosan. It was only until Akua tripped over a fragment of black stone did they become aware of where they were.

The stone that Akua fell over was one of several hundred more that were situated at the entrance the great crypt they trespassed within. Over thirty thousand square feet defined the massive dungeon-like abode. Everything was carved out of the stone of the mountain, but it all appeared as though the mountain itself was built around it. There was no way human beings, probably thousands of years in the past, were going to construct something so intricate within the depths of rock that was Takaku. The ceiling remained natural for the most part, but there was a breakthrough within it from which the stones on the ground originated from. A further examination of their surroundings found signs of an enormous struggle, one of monstrous and epic proportions. Entire sections of walling were torn down and the abrasions of recent destruction caused to the crypt was apparent. Furthermore, there was a portion of the floor that was constructed to slope a bit lower than the rest in a circular shape. There were chunks the size of Akua's body carved out of it, as if something was partially encased within. Lastly, a series of chaining mechanisms were ripped from their foundations in the floor, ceiling and the encompassing perimeter. Mirai helped her partner to her feet and dusted her off while she examined the vast room that, in addition to the destruction, was filled with troves of gold, jewels and sealed chests. She then tilted her head upwards to view the tunneling in the ceiling in which the rock was completely drilled through by something sizable enough to exceed the holding capacity of the crypt. Light from the outside reached in from the exit but the tunnel's depth prevented any exposure to the hidden cavern itself. "Well, he was right" Mirai said, "whatever was in here isn't anymore."

The next half hour was spent in exploration, trying to find further clues as to what happened. There was no evidence that they could find that linked the old man they had just met to anything. He also, despite his demonic presence, would not have been able to achieve such catastrophic results. The case was getting cold at this point. The least that they could confirm was that the disturbance was gone. Akua could detect no abnormal chakra within a 10 km radius other than those of the Tennosan natives, Mirai, and Shutsueji who was a great distance away. "I think we can go home now, Mirai," Akua informed. A sudden rumble ran through the mountain's heart. The Uchiha recognized it as tremors within the depths of the mountain. "I think we've done all we can for this case, I don't think we should be in here much longer. We ought make a file for Shutsueji when we get back as well." Mirai had yet to respond. Akua on the other hand had picked up a ruby necklace from a jewel pile. "Hey Mirai, you think you'd like this as my second Rinne-Festival gift for you?"

No response.

"Mirai?" Akua turned around. There was a hole in the ground and few meters away from the girl. "Mirai!" Akua shouted, sprinting towards it and peeking over the edge.

"Relax, Shrimp! I just fell down in this stupid ditch is all! There's a whole 'nother hidden room here, come take a look!"

Akua sighed in relief. Mirai's shenanigans had put her in another potentially life threatening situation. Yet Akua complied. She attached a hook about a meter from the edge and connected it to thick, steel wiring. This was extended down into the narrow pit as Akua descended. Unlike Mirai before her, she landed on her feet. Another gaze back upwards deduced that Mirai fell a considerable distance. "Mirai, what the hell—"

"Shrimp! There you are, I haven't given you a Rinne Festival gift yet have I?"

"No, but you don't have to…"

"Non-sense! You're my best-bud, I gotta give you something!"

"Really?"

Mirai nodded. She turned back toward the large stone altar before here. Two braziers lit the small, sealed-away corridor. The fact that there was still oxygen to burn meant that the fire was not natural. It had been burning eternally for a few hundred years. All in all, it was a miraculous discovery on her part. "From what I translate on this tablet here… there's something neat within this altar. I think it's a weapon or something. Did you replace that ninjato of yours yet?"

"No, I keep forgetting to, actually."

"Then, if we can get this open, consider it my gift to you!"

"I really appreciate it but… do you really think we should be tampering with it. I think they tried to hide this place for a reason, I mean, there's no entrance here…"

"That's true, but it also means it's extremely valuable and that I'm getting you the best present ever~! Now help me out. Chakra and weapons won't work on this thing, I tried already."

"Hm… alright," Akua replied. "Maybe there's something on that tablet that'll help us." Akua was now examining the cryptic writing.

"Can you read these characters? I've never seen anything like them before." Mirai glanced at the girl from the corner of her eye. Stunned at the sight, her eyes widened. Akua's Sharingan was active and darting back and forth, skimming along the lines of carved text. "…Woah…"

The Uchiha girl's eye's shut. It appeared that reading the words had caused a stress on her dojutsu. "Tsk..! That was a hand full…"

"Did you figure it out?"

"I was only able to decipher a portion of it… the rest is foreign to me."

"What did it say?"

"It was like a riddle of some sort… the part I could read said: ' _Beware and behold, for the steel of devil's bane rest yonder, past the horizon in which spirits dance. Unrequited for centuries, not tasting its decadent ambrosia, for the cursed point siphons all whom it may split. Starved it must be for all eternity, less one deem it a striking necessity, spill thine life essence; hark, of the paper fan, for it alone can withstand…_ ' and then nothing. The writing got too complex even for my eyes."

"….What the fuck does any of that even mean."

"I honestly have no clue. But it doesn't sound too good." Akua gazed at the statue bust that was mounted just above the surface of the altar. It resembled the upper body of a tengu demon. A pair of stone sculpted wings protruded from its back and its clawed hands extended from the wall. "Maybe there's a secret stone or something to push."

"You might be right," Mirai agreed, "let's start looking."

While Mirai searched towards the ground, Akua searched up high. The corridor was only about six feet tall though, so there was little room to move. The young Uchiha decided to turn her attention back to the statue. She searched it's form carefully for any mechanisms, but alas, there were none. That was when the rumbling of Takaku shook their small, hidden room as well as the crypt above them. The seismic activity threw the bodies of the females around and resulted in Mirai injuring her shoulder against the wall, and Akua splitting the skin of her finger and palm against the teeth of the statue. Both of them were overwhelmed by a sudden burst of pain. The mountain was going through a volatile transition.

The gash in Akua's right hand followed a line down her index finger to the middle of her palm. The dark, crimson fluid that flowed through her veins was now dripping onto the surface of the altar. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" The girl emptied out her canteen against her skin to clean the

wound, then applied some of Boruto's ointment, all before the blood loss became prominent. Her skin sizzled from the antibiotics while the herbs started immediate work in repairing her tissue.

"You alright, Shrimp? That looks pretty nasty."

"Yea, I'll be alright, but we should get out of here this place is practically a volcano now and we're right inside of it."

"Wait, look, the altar..!"

The tiny pools of Akua's blood vibrated and moved independently to fill in the primitive letters carved into the structure's surface. The fluid stretched with an impossible malleability until the shallow spaces were brimmed. Dark crimson light emitted from the eyes of the statue as well as the sound of stone unhinging. The girls lifted and pushed the thousand pound lid from its position on the altar to reveal what was held inside.

It was a katana.

Both Mirai and Akua stared aimlessly at the weapon that rested upon velvet cushioning. They then stared at each other. The Uchiha witnessed the growing smile on her partner's face, one that progressed enough to flex her rosey cheeks. "Go on," Mirai insisted, "take it. It's yours!"

"Are you sure? It's a little bit too big for me to wield…"

"You'll be fine."

"Maybe it's a trap…"

"Won't know 'less we found out!" She pulled the sheathed katana from its spot. Akua gasped and braced herself but nothing immediate occurred. "See, it's all fine." Finally, after a moment of hesitant thought, Akua accepted her gift and took possession of her new sword.

Despite the negative connotation behind the encrypted words, the object they seemingly referred to was one that reflected the near opposite. It had such an elegant grace and beauty that cause the violet eyed girl to instantly fall in love with it. It possessed a blade of approximately 80 cm, encased within a scabbard that gave off the optical illusion of holographics. She figured that it did this by switching between a dark, blood crimson and black depending on the angle of the light touching it, but in reality, the scabbard was also reacting to the touch of her skin. The fashioned handguard also had similar glistening effects, molded into an oval shape but with four corners gently cutting into it. The tsuka, or handle, had jet-black, braided lining that revealed diamonds of solid garnet underneath, topped off by a kashira, or pommel cap, of pure, intricately designed gold. Also underneath the black lining was a golden phoenix ornament of an elaborate craftsmanship. Each and every part of the katana was simply a priceless masterpiece. It was hundreds of years old yet still in tact. "Does it have a name, Shrimp, or do we gotta make one?"

Akua focused on the golden text written along the scabbard. "It says… _Juuchi Yosamu no Murasame_. It can also be translated to _10,000 Cold Nights of Autumn Rain_."

"Woah… that's… epic! Draw the sword, let's see it."

The girl tried, but it wouldn't budge. "Ugh… I can't." The mountain rumbled again. "We can figure this out later when we get home." Akua dragged her friend with her while Takaku prepared for an eruption. Like the old man before them, they retraced their down steps for their exit and found themselves descending the mountain side after about ten minutes. Eleven was the limit.

BOOM!

* * *

Akua arrived home with her partner just in time for the final day of the Rinne Festival, December 31st. Both were able to spend that day with their families. For Akua, she spent the majority of her day with her mother Karin, even giving her the new pair of glasses that she purchased. In the afternoon, everyone had adorned their festival kimono. The streets were filled with various vibrant colors, each one standing out in contrast with the gentle snow. Late in the evening, after Akua finished her dinner, someone knocked on the front door. "Darling!" Karin called across the house, "You've got a visitor here waiting for you!"

" _Who could be here so late… oh, of course,_ " Akua thought as she made her way from her room to the door.

"Heya, Ku-chan!"

"Oh boy, how'd I know you'd be here at my front porch so late at night?"

"'Cause I'm the only one crazy enough to do it! Besides, I still have to give you my gift, ya know."

"Hm, well where is it then, ya idiot?"

"Pft, I can't give it to you now! I have to take you somewhere cool first to see the fireworks!"

"Fireworks? What are those?"

"You've never seen them?"

She shook her head.

Boruto looked towards Karin. "Is it alright if I take her out for a bit, ma'am? We'll be back right around midnight."

Karin raised an eyebrow then nodded her head in approval. "Take care of my daughter, okay? Or we'll have problems, ya hear?!"

Boruto accepted the terms even though he knew he had no choice. Akua's mother was almost as scary as Sarada's could get. He switched his focus back to Akua. "C'mon, Ku-chan, this'll be the coolest thing ever!"

Akua couldn't take her mind off the fact that the entire trip towards Boruto's designated destination was spent with his hand holding her own, guiding her through the city. She also spent that entire trip with a slight blush on her cheeks; she couldn't seem to figure out what was happening to her lately whenever this boy was near her. Within 15 minutes, they arrived to the special location. The view of Konohagakure at night was such a brilliant and vast display of lighting and endless activity, an unparalleled sight. The scenery was easily able to be absorbed from the top of the Hokage stone monument after all. "This is where we'll watch the fireworks."

"You still haven't told me what they are."

"You'll see, don't worry."

It was minutes to midnight. Downtown Konoha in Rasen was hosting their own ball drop to countdown the end of 1143 and welcome the new year of 1144. "Hey, Boruto?"

"What's up?"

"Do you think this new year will bring good fortune? The past year or so wasn't all that great for me."

"Definitely! If that's what you want then it's sure to happen."

The girl gifted him with a warm smile. "Did you like the gift I gave you?"

"Oh, the jacket? It's amazing, I love it! I think I'm gonna start wearing it to the Academy when we go back next week."

"I'm glad to hear that," she giggled, "now what about my gift?"

"Ah, yes, I've got it right…"—he reached into his kimono—"…here." The boy withdrew a small black case and held it out to her. "I noticed how much you liked and wore the necklace…"—Akua took it from him and opened it to peer inside—"so I decided to get you a pair of earring studs to match."

Akua covered her mouth in shock. The way the tiny, amethyst crystal studs absorbed and reflected the irradiant light of the moon made her irises tremble and her heart swell. It moved as if the glimmers were trapped inside, shifting around like an air bubble within a small case of water. "I-It's beautiful," she said after collecting herself. "There you go, knocking my gift out of the park, ya idiot!" She playfully punched his arm.

"Hehe..! I knew you'd like 'em. Looks like I've finally defeated you!"

"Oh please, you made a little miscalculation," she grinned. The girl tucked the right side of her raven black hair behind her ear to show him. There was no puncture in her earlobe.

"Shit… I didn't know… you didn't wear earrings…"

Akua laughed at him, "It's okay Boruto, never too late to start." She held the pointed end of the stud to her ear and shut her eyes in anticipation. "Here it goes."

"Wait!"

She stabbed the needle through the flap of skin, piercing her own hole. The violet eyes burst open from the shock of pain that soon subsided. "…See, wasn't that bad…" she flinched.

"Pft, and you call me the idiot."

"Shut up! I was just trying to make you feel better! Hmph!"

"Haha, we can just get it done by a professional tomorrow, Ku-chan."

"Fine, fine," she replied, removing the stud from her tender ear.

Kaboom!

The two instantly turned their heads towards the sound in the sky. It was an explosion of color, oranges and crimson reds in all directions, shining bright enough to illuminate the sky along with the moon itself. "There they are!" Boruto exclaimed. Pop! Pop! Boom..! Several more multi-colored fireworks fired off and erupted with their rainbow of light fragments. Each one intertwined with the other, and just as one would fade away, another three would replace it. "Happy New Year, Ku-cha—" His sight of her cut him off. The look of her gazing wide-eyed with pure joy and fascination left him in awe. She even caused him to leave his mouth slightly open while he stared. When she turned to face him, the sentiments within her big, violet eyes transferred to him. Now he was experiencing her amazement, her fascination of the fireworks, and it forced him to flash the contagious smile he always wore.

Her lips curled into her own gentle smile. "Thank you, Boruto."

* * *

 **A/N: There we have it, the end of chapter 13! Chapter 14 will be posted soon, I just want to give people time to read this one first. Like I said, there's a lot going on here and there'll be just as much in the subsequent release.**

 **I hope you enjoyed another Rinne Festival. I probably won't be focusing on another one for quite some time though. Anyway, stay tuned for 14.**

 **Follow/Fav/Review, I enjoy your feedback!**


	14. The Scarlet Spring

**A/N: **ATTENTION**! This is the second chapter of the double release update. If you are just now on this page because you received the notification of this chapter, make sure that you've read all of chapter 13, as it is the FIRST installment of this double release update. I repeat, this is the SECOND of two chapters I've released today.**

 **This chapter will have content taken straight out of several chapters of the Naruto Gaiden Manga, however, it will be from someone else's perspective rather than Sarada's for those portions. In between will be my own plot and narration of events that happened behind the scenes. As for pulling text from the manga, I admit as disclaimer once again that I do not own rights to the original Naruto series.**

 **Thank you for your attention and enjoy!**

 **Ch 14**

 **The Scarlet Spring**

In due time, the cloudy curtains of the Winter cleared to make way for the beams of blooming, spring sunlight to shine upon the Land of Fire and the northern hemisphere. From February to March, the once white lands gradually melted into liquid that would feed the emerging, grassy-emerald greens. The seasonal harvest approached and flora species apexed their beautiful, aroma-filled existence. The benevolent colors of Spring's grace hid no longer. Nor did the slumbering mammals that stretched their furry limbs from their hibernation. Such a transition would continue into the month of April as the duplexity of the season's elements set in. One day would harbor clear skies and a stifling sun, while the next was shrouded in thunder and lightning. Nature was at balance with itself during this post-equinox. In Konoha however, the excitement and adventure was just brewing.

The blonde haired boy possessed a lackadaisical disposition as he sat through the regular motions of his Academy classroom. His time in the institution was winding down. All he cared for was passing the examination to become a genin. To him, it was a step closer to being able to stand next to Akua, the person he admired so dearly. He even started to wear the new black jacket that she bought for him a few months prior during the Rinne-Festival and he wore it whenever he had shinobi related business. She'd made the perfect choice in crafting it. The red stripes along the sleeves and the high, zip-up collar was just to his liking. Whenever he thought about her though, he became a bit frustrated, perhaps eager as he was always pondering on how he was to catch up to the girl. Her headstart vexed him because he wasn't able to figure out an easy, efficient way to match her ability. Thus, he slammed his back to the wooden seat in which he sat, folding his arms. His eyes widened in a sudden astonishment, forcing him from of his zoned-out state of mind. Something at the front of the classroom caught his attention. "You all know what this is, don't you," announced the instructor, Shino Aburame. "That's right…there's a reason why I'm showing this to all of you right now, and that's because the time has finally come for the week of the Academy's graduation exams."

The class erupted in an excitement of chatter. Boruto could hear all his classmates discussing the topic of the exam now in their small groups. "It's finally come, hasn't it, Boruto..?" Mitsuki notified. This was Boruto's friend whom he'd recently met this year. Very little was known about him except for that fact that, like Akua, he was an immigrant from another village. Aside from his ethnic background, Mitsuki had quite the unique appearance. His tousled, light-blue hair framed his pale complexion, and his facial features defined by his thin eyebrows and golden irises. The outfit he wore consisted of a loose, two-toned blue kimono jacket with long, billowing sleeves, tied back by a khaki-gray, ono-styled belt. Navy blue pants and dark, calf-length sandals finished it off.

Boruto leaned in to the desk while he responded, "Yeah, I won't even break a sweat!"

Aburame continued his addressing of the class, "As far as what the test consists of, I'll be revealing that all on the day of."

"Hell yeah!" one of the student shouted, "time to become a ninja!"

"We're finally becoming the real deal!"

The Uzumaki boy was absorbing the commotion, but he could see that the girl in the desk below him was not. Instead she sunk away from it, drifting into her thoughts by the way she sat still in her seat. He didn't pay much attention to what she was thinking about, however. Her gloomy attitude was quite normal for him most of the time. There was something more interesting going on within his own mind.

The norm of the Academy students as the countdown to their graduation exam commenced was to seek special aid from their parents who were shinobi. Of course, this was done by a simple request for training, but Boruto Uzumaki had an arbitrary method in doing so. He needed to do something significant and drastic in order to secure his father's attention. Therefore, the young boy resorted to his failsafe.

About an hour after students from the Ninja Academy were released, Boruto found himself atop the Hokage Stone Faces monument. He attached a sturdy rope through the circular opening within a kunai handle and secured it deep within the stone. He then tied the other end around his waist so that he could support himself while he went to work. The boy retrieved his bucket of red paint along with his brush, gripping onto the rope and bungee jumping down to the face of the Seventh Hokage. He swung his bucket and out came the red liquid splattering onto the massive rocky canvas. The brush was swiped and the bristles guided where the paint was lathered. It was probably the most laborious work that he had done in a few weeks. His deed resulted in the kanji for "baka" being written down the right side of the Seventh's carved face. Boruto took a moment to absorb the beauty of his master piece. Gravity pulled down small strands of the fresh crimson, but the word was visible for miles. This would surely accomplish his goal. "Hey you! Get down from there!"

Boruto peered down. There were leaf shinobi atop the mansion underneath him that had witnessed his act of delinquency. He seldom respected when adults attempted to reprimand him. He flashed another one of his signature smiles, this one being from his more devious collection. In return for their commentary, he emptied out the bucket. Upon first glance, the shinobi weren't able to perceive what he did. The sun was directly above the paint, so it appeared as a black partition in the sky. Such a sight only appeared larger as it grew closer until they realized that there was something ready to ruin their clothing. However, by the time they deciphered this, it was too late. Splatters of paint rained down to the cloak the shinobi in a coat of crimson. "If you want me to stop, you'll have to get my pops!" Boruto shouted down before slinging himself onto the carved stone with the rope and climbing to make his escape.

"Someone get him! Call the Seventh!"

Even though he was an Academy student, Boruto was still a capable and crafty shinobi. He watched with amusement from the rooftops as the paint stained ninja scoured the streets looking for him. They searched for hours, and the only thing they could find were the goofy messages he left that only served to enrage them. Boruto concluded his view and left the edge to the sound of a familiar voice. "Boruto!" He turned around to see who was calling him. The white, flame-trimmed cape billowed behind the man that charged full speed toward the boy.

"Ya old jerk!" Boruto cursed. He spun around and made an acrobatic leap over the street, landed on the rooftop and continued his escape.

"Boruto! Get over here right now!" Ordered the Seventh Hokage.

"No way! If you want me you're gonna have to catch me ya geezer!" Boruto taunted. He ran across the building and leapt down onto a balcony. His running took him around an apartment complex and across the street to another building. On his way he brushed people out of his way, pushed potted plants and various fragile objects from their spots and even had to untangle himself from the contents of clothing lines. All of these things were objects in Naruto's way as he chased after his son. A few seconds after Boruto would cause a disturbance, the Seventh passed by to apologize for it.

Boruto took pride in the fact that his father was having trouble keeping up with him. The objective after all was to get away from him while at the same time forcing the man to take time out of his job to search. The pursuit transitioned into a game of hide and seek across the Academy district. The Hokage was growing tired of these shenanigans. His son's purpose wasn't difficult to figure out, therefore, he took a detour. Noticing the direction his father took, Boruto decided to act as well and did so by forming a specific hand seal.

The Hokage turned a corner in an attempt to travel a shorter route to get to Boruto. He'd lived longer and navigated even the new infrastructure of the city. There wasn't a crevice of the village that he didn't know, especially when it came to the Academy district. Boruto, although not as extensively knowledgeable as his father, was familiar with the layout of the area as well. His hand sign from before was the beginning of the shadow clone jutsu. As one of his clones, Boruto made his way directly to his father to intercept him. The Hokage appeared within the alleyway where his son was waiting. Boruto timed his ambush with precision, launching himself from the height of the building he was perched upon and intercepting his father. His body zipped down like a guillotine and his right heel extended forward.

His father's reflexes were sharper than he imagined. Boruto's heel connected against the Hokage's left forearm. The two Uzumaki were stalled in the air by the collective force of their strikes. Naruto used this as his chance. His son had appeared before him. The man clenched his right fist and fired it into Boruto's stomach. POOF! An explosion of smoke erupted over his knuckles and passed into his face. " _A shadow clone..?!_ " the Hokage realized. Naruto landed atop a water tank situated underneath him.

"Over here, ya know!" shouted two more Boruto's. They were both taunting the Seventh from a bridge about 50 meters away.

"Hmph… you think you just pulled a quick one? On me? Your old man? You ain't seen nothin'… _Multi-Shadow Clone_ …" He held his hand seal.

"Seventh… that wouldn't be very mature of you…" commented someone nearby. The Hokage turned his head to see one of his old teammates, Sai, and his son Inojin.

Naruto scratched his left index over his cheek. "You guys should…just stick to your own training over there… and I'll uh…"

"Perhaps I'm the one that's being immature..?" Sai suggested.

"Why are you trying to act all cool for, dad..?" Inojin shot him down.

Naruto on the other hand had his attention captured by something else, "…Huh?"

There was an individual passing by upon the bridge that attempted to duck out of sight to keep hidden from Naruto. Her body disappeared as she descended a short flight of steps. In front of her, was a certain blonde haired boy. "Fools never do learn their lesson do they..?" she said.

"Shush!" Boruto ordered, slipping into the crevice of a folded double sign. Sarada became puzzled as to what he trying to do.

"Sarada!" Naruto suddenly appeared behind her.

"Se-Seventh..!"

"Have you seen Boruto around?" he asked.

The girl was silent. Sweat rolled down Boruto's forehead as he too muted himself. His own silence caused the puzzled pieces in Sarada's mind to come together. The reason why he slipped underneath the sign and the reason why the Hokage was searching for him all made some sense. Sarada turned and pointed in his direction. "That way."

Naruto spun around. "Thank you!" he said before leaping away. Sarada's expression straightened out as she watched him disappear.

"I should be the one saying thanks, Sarada. It's been awhile since we've played tag like this, I can't let myself get caught that easily, ya know! I've gotta beat my record time!"

"Boruto…you know, you—"

"If the Seventh activated sage mode, he would find you in an instant," the advisor, Shikamaru Nara informed them. He approached the two with his son, Shikadai, and stopped a few meters away.

"I know, I know! But even without using sage mode, dad has always found me way faster up until now!"

"I don't quite get what you're up to, but it looks like the Hokage has his hands full with dealing with an opponent like you… I'm sure he has more pressing matters to attend to though," Shikadai suggested.

"That's just a shadow clone," Boruto confirmed, "my real shitty dad is off working, of course. Well then, I'm off to set a new record—" Boruto froze in his tracks. "What the..?!"

Even Sarada was shocked for a moment at the sight of his unbeknownst struggle, but the source was revealed.

"AHHH! Old man Shikamaru's jutsu!" The thin warped line of Shikamaru's shadow stretched to connect and capture the shadow underneath Boruto.

"It's the shadow binding jutsu!" Shikadai boasted.

Boruto's entire body was twitching. His muscles were active but none of them were in motion, as if he was encased all around by a block of ice. "…I…can't…move…"

"Try not to make so much trouble for the Seventh, Boruto. The Hokage has many responsibilities to attend to… as his advisor, that also includes me."

"Goddamnit!" the Uzumaki boy cursed.

"Ahahahaha!" Shikadai responded, bursting into a spell of laughter.

"Ah well, even if I lecture you," Shikamaru grinned, "you're just gonna keep acting out, exactly like Naruto did when he was your age"—he tilted his head down to his son—"Shikadai, go call the Seventh's shadow clown over here."

"Eh? Why me..?" He rubbed the back of his head in compliance and proceeded. "Damn, how frickin' bothersome…"

"…." Shikamaru was speechless. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it…"

Shikadai's laziness lead to Boruto's 20 minute wait for his father. During that time, Sarada went about her business and Shikamaru's jutsu was released. The moment the Seventh arrived however, Boruto was treated with a swelling bump on the crown of his head from his father's fist. "How many times do I have to tell you not to paint the faces of the Hokage Monument, you little punk!" The Hokage rolled up his sleeve.

"It was all apart of my plan you geezer!" Boruto yelled, "Now bring the real deal here, I wanna give him a piece of my mind right now!"

"As much as I'd love to chase you around the city, I don't have time for it. There are other things that require my attention right now that I need to supervise. They're important to the—"

"And what about me? Am I not important enough?!"

"I didn't say that…"

"You might as well!" He threw his fist forward into the stomach of the clone, causing it to burst into smoke. While Shikadai was shocked at his friend's outrage, Shikamaru frowned. He was aware that Boruto didn't know how to handle the fact that his father was a busy man.

Boruto called that the end of his game of hide-and-seek for the day. He no longer had interested in it, the record, or playing with his father. The rest of his afternoon was spent with a two hour walk back to his home in Rasen. His hands were tucked into his pant pockets and his head tilted towards the floor. Individuals in the street either had to move out of his way or be knocked into by either of his shoulders. A mist of grim negativity followed in his wake the entire distance. It was unfortunate that many of the days Boruto tried to garner any sort of attention from his father ended just like this one. " _I don't need him to train me… I don't even need to train to pass that stupid graduation exam! I should already be a ninja dammit!_ " he said to himself. His fingers clenched within his pockets.

Boruto's right hand was withdrawn with the key to his front door. He trudged down the sidewalk, up the path and climbed a few steps until he stopped just outside of his home. He remained there for a moment, contemplating the individuals that would greet him on the inside. He didn't want to see his mother or sister. The boy knew they would notice immediately that he was distressed and try to cheer him up, but he wanted to remain the way his was. Knowing the circumstances he proceeded to unlock and open the door anyway. The sound of the hinges squeaking alerted those inside that someone had crossed the threshold, and both individuals possessed a general idea of who it was. "Boruto, welcome home dear," Hinata greeted from the living room to the near left of the entrance. The boy ignored his mother and went to remove his sandals. The lack of response worried the woman, resulting in her leaving her seat to meet who had just entered the house. She confirmed that it was indeed her son. "Boruto, are you alright, dear?" She held her left hand to her chest and reached to him with her right. He gently brushed her arm away and continued up the stairs in front of him.

"It's nothing ma, I'm fine."

"I know that's not true. You think I wouldn't be able to tell when my son is upset?"

It was as he predicted. "Tsk… just leave it alone."

"Boruto please," she turned to look at him as he ascended the flight, "you can talk to me…"

There wasn't any talking that he wanted to do and he soon disappeared from her sight. Hinata held her head down in defeat. No, a lightbulb flickered within her head. Giving up was no longer her strongsuit, but she knew when to stop prodding. The woman reentered the kitchen and living area with an idea in mind.

"Mama, was it onii-chan at the door?" Himawari wondered. She was sitting in one of the couches towards the end of the room.

Hinata nodded.

"Is he mad again?"

"I'm afraid so," she had a stern look on her face while she picked up their landline and started to dial.

"I don't like it when he's like that… it makes me worried."

"Me too dear, but don't you worry, mommy's gonna fix it."

When Boruto stepped into his room, he kicked his rolling chair underneath his desk with a thudding racket upon impact. The boy proceeded to fall face first into his mattress and his body sunk into the soft material. There he laid, motionless for several minutes. It was then that he noticed the aroma carrying throughout the air of the house. It was the sweet scent of dinner. Even though it was well past that time of day, it seemed his family refused to eat without him. However, he refused to go downstairs to eat. His appetite didn't compel him to. Hinata didn't get the chance to inform him that they were waiting for him since he'd immediately shut her out. " _If they're really hungry, they won't wait for me… who cares_ —"

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! It was the muffled vibrations of his cell phone between his body and sheets. The boy sat up and reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve the device. His thumb gestured on instinct to ignore the call without consideration, for he thought it was his mother. But the caller had him fooled. His thumb froze over the ignore button and his eyes widened at the contact causing his phone to ring. "… _Ku-chan…_ " he realized. He answered the phone. "What do you want?"

"Don't you dare answer me like that! Try again!" She hung up. Boruto's expression fell into a comical irritation and a few seconds later found the phone ringing again. He answered.

"…Hello…" he grumbled.

"Stop being a grumpy jerk!"

"What the… how did you—!"

"Your mother called me, you idiot. What's gotten into you?"

"It's nothing."

"It's definitely gotta be something if you mother had to call me to speak to you. Why aren't you speaking to her? Tell me what happened."

"She was just gonna waste her time trying to cheer me up… because of my shitty dad."

Akua sighed. "Boruto… you know your mother loves you with all her heart don't you?"

"…Yea…"

"So how do you think she feels knowing that someone she cares so deeply for won't let her help them?"

"She probably feels crappy…"

"You mother's a sensitive woman. You love her too, don't you?"

"Of course I do, she's my mom!"

"Then why would you want her feeling like that?"

"I don't! It's just… if I tell her… she'd just going to take dad's side! She doesn't understand!"

"Boruto, you have a wonderful, caring mother, a loving little sister and a father who works his ass off so he can put food on your table and make sure the world you live in is as peaceful as it can be. You should be grateful, not angry."

Boruto stared down into his lap in consideration of Akua's words. She was absolutely correct. "That still doesn't change the fact that he's hardly around…"

"But at least he exists, and you know he loves you too. He does what he does for you and your family. You're his _family_ , Boruto. He's not ignoring you on purpose."

Boruto groaned. He couldn't rebuttal her argument.

The girl continued, "They say you don't know what you have until you lose it, Boruto. So figure it out right now before you actually have to go through the pain of losing it without ever having enjoyed it."

"Alright, alright, I'll try my best." His frigid aura of negativity was already being pierced through by the sound the Akua's voice alone. She ripped it loose from his body and replaced it with a warm heart.

"Good! Now, I want you to go downstairs, apologize to your mother—Sincerely!—and tell her you love her. Then you're going to have dinner with them and talk about your problem so she can help you, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," he joked.

"Okay," Akua giggled, "I gotta go now. I'll call you later to check up on you, got it?"

"Mhm."

"Now go on! Cya!"

"Bye..!" She hung up. Boruto let out a deep breath. He lifted himself from his bed, tucked his phone into his pocket and went down to do as he was told.

* * *

Akua pressed a button on her phone and the screen went into hibernation, no longer emitting its bright light onto her shadowed face. There was a smile that grew from her lips and her glimmering, violet gemstone eyes seemed to be the only thing able to cut through the darkness in front of her. All except for the floating celestial object whose glow refracted off the harsh waves of the ocean. It was a vast and infinite view from where she sat with the moon hovering over the horizon. Thoughts about home streamed through mind as she stared into something with such emptiness yet possessed an abundant substance to take in. "Shrimp! What are you doing sitting on the edge like that, you're gonna fall off and drown in these waters!"

"Pft, I'm not that clumsy, Mirai."

"Yea, yea, c'mon, we've got debriefing to do."

"Is the operation a go?" Akua inquired.

Mirai shook her head. "I'm not sure. We'll have to go find out," she said, turning in the other direction. Akua rose from the ledge of the bow and followed behind Mirai across the deck of the Konoha warship.

Both Akua and Mirai were recently assigned on the expedition to liberate the Hōzuki Castle from Kusagakure's grasp due to Konoha's recognition of their exceptional skills as shinobi. There wasn't a pair of shinobi in the city that could rival their teamwork, which made them an obvious choice. Their journey began about 48 hours prior when they travelled from Konohagakure to a port on the northwestern end of the Land of Iron. The Iron Country was situated to the far north of the Fire Country, in addition to bordering the Land of Sound to the east and the Waterfall Country to the west. From there, they boarded one of about three dozen Konoha warships which departed from the port and headed towards the Aisu Bay. This was a body of water that bordered the Iron, Waterfall and Earth Countries.

Part of the issue originated with the prison staff. Lead by ex-missing nin and rogue ninja, Kahyō, the Hōzuki Castle staff opposed Shibōjiko's authority once he arrived. She refused to take orders from him, as her employers were the Shinobi Union. As a result, she was taken hostage along with the rest of her staff who followed behind her. In response, a portion of the Bay, where the Hōzuki Castle was located, was blocked off by the navy fleet of Konoha along with the help of Iwagakure and Kumogakure. Iwagakure even went a step further to provide support from the land, having shinobi stationed on the perimeter of the three countries the Bay touched. This cut off Kusagakure's supply line to the Prison and prevented the transport of extra troops. Those Kusa shinobi that were already stationed in the Hōzuki Castle were trapped. The Shinobi Union decided to remain on standby until all of their resources were depleted, which would force them to surrender the base. That wait lasted four months and counting.

Time was dwindling down, as well as the supplies in the Hōzuki Castle. There was sharp surveillance being kept upon the area as well. The slightest false move by Kusagakure would result in an invasion the Union deemed far too overwhelming for them to encounter. However, the Union grew tired of waiting, thus their rationale for requesting the preparation of combat troops.

Akua stepped into the central command room along side Mirai. Only the jonin mission commanders were allowed in, so it puzzled her as to why they were summoned. Tenten, the commanding admiral of Konoha's forces, was present and awaiting their arrival. This was a step up from her part time job as a ninja tool shop owner. "Welcome ladies, it's a pleasure to have you both here." They bowed as Commander Tenten addressed them. The woman reached over the circular command module underneath her and held out a hand to the violet eyed girl. "It's nice to finally meet you as well, Akua. I've heard a lot of great things." The girl shook the woman's hand.

"Thank you, Commander."

"Indeed, that is exactly why you both have been selected personally by the Hokage to form a special ops team for this specific mission."

The faces of the two young girls threatened to outshine the light in the room. "What will we be doing, Commander?"

Tenten tapped the circular module. It was in the flat shape of a table with most of its surface being a touch-sensitive screen. The radar that was shown switched to a map of the surrounding area with certain points of interest highlighted. Tenten pointed towards the several dozen green blips at sea. "This is the warship blockade that's locking in the Hōzuki Castle if necessary, it is where the main force will be deployed from." She then pointed toward the mainland to the south of the Castle. There was green blips situated in this location as well. "These group shinobi are there to guard any Kusa nin from entering the Bay from the land. We currently have them backed into a corner. Unfortunately there is speculation that Shibōjiko Hideyoshi is plotting to utilize the Box of Ultimate Bliss."

"Ultimate Bliss..? What is that, Commander?" Akua asked.

"It's an ancient weapon that was sealed away for the second time about a decade ago. If Hideyoshi gets his hands on it, he'll release the demon within the box itself, Satori. All I can say is… we _cannot_ let that happen. It will spell doom for our forces."

Mirai shuddered, collected herself and spoke up, "According to what you've told us, Hideyoshi currently does not have the Box, correct?"

Tenten nodded, "Precisely. Our advantage is that we know exactly where it is, and he does not. That is where you two come in. Right now we're not allowed to approach the Castle any further to provoke conflict, but in case such a thing does occur, we need the box to be secured before Hideyoshi discovers it's location."

Akua gulped down at the weight of the mission she'd been chosen for.

"If combat commences, you two will travel to the location of the Box and remove it from its resting place." Tenten held out four paper tags. "Use these. Once activated, they'll teleport the Box of Bliss to Kumogakure to be stored away." Mirai accepted them and nodded. "This mission is crucial"—Tenten's expression narrowed into seriousness—"You will have exactly 60 minutes including travel time to complete it once it begins. If we do not get confirmation or a status on the situation before that time, we will assume that the mission was a failure and send reinforcements. Failure means peril. We. Cannot. Fail. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Commander!" they replied simultaneously.

"Now, in order to keep this covert, we will only be sending you both. Anymore will risk the team being detected. If for any reason you require assistance, the reinforcements will be ready for you." Tenten clasps her hands together. "That will be all. I wish you both the best of luck. You're now on standby for our call. Prepare yourselves, it could happen at any time."

"Thank you, Commander!" Mirai exclaimed.

"Yes, thank you," Akua bowed again before exiting the room and heading down the hall with her partner to their living quarters for the night.

* * *

Coincidentally, that next morning was filled with a plethora of unprecedented developments for the Seventh Hokage as he sat at his desk. Shikamaru entered the office without welcome. "Seventh… we have urgent news."

"Huh..? What is it?"

"The operation at the Hōzuki Castle has been compromised. Kusagakure is combatting Iwa's shinobi on the ground and are sending reinforcements to the assist themselves at the prison. The Five Hokage have requested your urgent approval to commence the liberation."

Naruto slouched back into his seat and covered his face in distress. "Alright, give the the order."

Shikamaru pressed a button on his pager. "It's done."

"Damn that Hideyoshi…" the Hokage muttered.

"Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it," Shizune reassured, having already been in the room.

"I hope you're right." Naruto switched his focus. "Shikamaru, how many graduates do we need to order forehead protectors for?"

"Leave such matters to me," he replied, "you don't need to—"

Knock! Knock! Knock! There was something at the window. Naruto turned around to see what it was. It was a large, brown feathered bird with an abrupt shift to white feathers about it's head. "It's Sasuke's eagle…" There was a compartment attached to its right leg. Naruto let the creature in and retrieved what it was carrying.

"As usual," Shikamaru commented, "he's sticking to this analog pen and paper crap."

"Well, Sasuke's mission has him doing reconnaissance in undeveloped territories… it's not like he has easy access to the latest technologies…" Naruto skimmed through the contents of the message. "This is..!" He slammed the paper on the desk and picked up the phone. His index finger smashed into buttons, quickly dialing the number in mind. "Hey, Kakashi, I need your insight on something."

"What's up, Naruto? What part of me being in the middle of R&R didn't you understand?"

"It's Sasuke. He's contacted me about some he encountered he encountered… with a Sharingan, pale skin, and white hair."

Kakashi shut his eyes to think on Naruto's words then reopened them. "He had a Sharingan you say… well there's no way that should be possible. It could be another survivor of the Uchiha, or Akua's brother, but my money's on one of Orochimaru's test subjects."

"I see. Then I should contact Captain Yamato about Orochimaru, shouldn't I? He's monitoring his movements."

"Yeah, yeah, that's right, Yamato's on the lookout and has his eyes peeled. If you're gonna go looking for him, I'm sure Yamato can give you a few leads. I'll give him a heads up."

"Thanks, Kakashi Sensei," he said. "All right"—Naruto hung up the phone. There was a noticeably troubled expression that befell Naruto.

"What's wrong?" Shizune worried.

"It's just… I sent Akua away on that mission… if I had known that Sasuke would be contacting me, I would've made her stay so she…—"

"We can't worry about that, we've got more important matters than a family reunion," Shikamaru interrupted. As much as Naruto hated to admit it, he was correct. The man paused for a moment to gather his thoughts.

He sighed, "For now, we'll have to ask him for more details… which means we've first got to rendezvous with Sasuke. Then we'll be heading to Orochimaru's. I'll leave a shadow clone here in the village since I'll be heading out to handle this personally."

"But we've got the graduation exam coming up…" Shizune mentioned.

"Even a small spark like this can burst into a roaring inferno," Shikamaru inserted, "it's best we act swiftly and quickly. We leave this evening."

The Seventh pulled on his cape and prepared to depart.

* * *

The advice that Akua gave Boruto the night before proved beneficial to establishing the needed communication between him and his mother. Because of it, he was able to enjoy a tasty and comfortable dinner at the table with his family. These events replayed through the boy's mind while he combatted his friend Mitsuki that saturday afternoon. The two were actually sitting in his room on their portable game stations. When their third game ended in Boruto's favor, Himawari stepped into the area. "Onii-chan!"

"Oh, what's up, Hima?"

Mitsuki waved so that his presence could be acknowledged.

"Mama's calling you to the kitchen, she said she has an errand that she wants you to run for her!"

"An errand?" the boy questioned.

"Yeah, to deliver something I think… I don't know, go find out!" she directed before prancing out of the bedroom.

"Pft, what could she possibly want me to deliver…" he muttered.

"Perhaps she's made something that she wants for you to give to someone, Boruto," answered Mitsuki. He followed the Uzumaki boy to the kitchen where his mother was located. Mitsuki was correct. When they entered, she had just finished wrapping a bento lunch box.

"There you are! What were you doing? I've been calling you for a good five minutes," she wondered.

"I'm sorry, I was just playing ninja crushers and I guess the sound was too loud for me to hear you from upstairs, ya know."

"That's fine, here"—she handed him the bento box—"take this to your father. He'll be going out of the city to deal with an urgent matter that came up and I think it would be good if you two saw each other before he left." The smile she wore was full of warm intentions.

Boruto groaned to himself as if doing a quick delivery run was a chore, which to him it was, but in reality, all he wanted was to spend time with and see his father, not another shadow clone. He accepted the lunch as quickly as Hinata expected him to. "Alright mom, I'll do it. Where is he right now and what time will he be leaving?"

Hinata picked up her phone and started to dial. "You should get going now, he'll be waiting for you at the southern gate. I'll let him know that you're on your way!"

"It'll be a piece of cake! Let's roll Mitsuki!" The boy sprinted out of the kitchen, turned to the corner about his right and strapped on his sandals. Mitsuki was hard pressed to keep up with him if he intended to follow, but so he did and off Boruto was out the front door.

It was an unfortunate turn of events that the train they boarded to take them to the gate broke down during the middle of the trip. Boruto made the mistake of deciding to wait a couple minutes before travelling the rest of the way on foot. There was a person standing at the gate as the two boys approached, but there was no sign of Boruto's father. "Punctuality really is a foreign concept to you…" Shikamaru said as they ran up to him.

Boruto mumbled under his breath, "…Tch!"

"What's that?" The advisor inquired.

Boruto held up the Uzumaki symbol wrapped box, "Lunch…"

"Ah! So that's what he wanted me to apologize for."

Disgust swept down Boruto's face. "Hmph…"—He turned back toward the city—"let's go, Mitsuki."

"If we leave now, I believe catching up to him is a distinct possibility…" he suggested.

"We'd be more than happy to pass along his lunch, if you want..?!" exclaimed an approaching individual.

"Huh?!" wondered a second individual.

Boruto took a sharp look to his left. His classmates Sarada and Chōchō were incoming. Their presence startled him, as they appeared from seemingly nowhere. "Sarada..?!"

"We're just gonna spend some quality girl time together!" she lied, referring to Chōchō, "And since we're headed that way, we'll had that bag to the Seventh when we bump into him! That's the least we can do, right, Chōchō? Besides, this way we get to enjoy the scenic route just like you wanted."

"It's all good," Chōchō replied, "but… maybe I should try some… make sure it hasn't spoiled or anything…"

"Err, don't worry about it…" Boruto denied, "I'll just bring it back home and tell mom! He hasn't earned the right to have this delivered—"

Sarada stopped him from leaving with the tap of her right hand against his shoulder. There was an uncomfortable silence and a bead of sweat trickling down the frame of Boruto's face. "Yeah..?" he asked.

"I told you I'd deliver it."

"And I told you don't worry about it!" He brushed her hand away and shot her down with a stern glare. Sarada didn't falter, however. Her dark eyes put his own beaming gaze at a stalemate. The friction between them was almost tangible.

"Well if no one's going to deliver it, it'd be a shame to let it go to waste and all," Chōchō said, trying to clear the tense atmosphere.

Mitsuki pulled her to the side. "You really need to learn how to read between the lines…" he scolded. Boruto spoke again once the those two departed.

"Quit making a big deal out of it, I said don't worry about it."

"You know exactly who it is that you're supposed to be delivering it to, so there's no chance of you losing your way… if I were in your shoes, I'd gladly hand deliver it myself!"

Boruto's glare turned into confusion. He could seem to decipher the poetic meaning behind her words.

"Besides, this isn't just about him having something to eat when he gets hungry… when you know that someone's made something especially for you…"

Boruto's mother was the first thing that popped into his mind. She would be distraught if the lunch she sweat effort into making never arrived. "You've got issues…" he finally said. He didn't know what else to say.

"Naruto headed off towards Shikoro Touge," Shikamaru informed, "hand it over, Boruto."

His reluctance was shown through his body language. "Fine… take it," he gave in, holding out the lunch box for Sarada.

"I swear I'll deliver it to him." She turned and sprinted down the path, "Let's go, Chōchō!"

Her voice startled the girl, " …Right behind ya'!" She quickly caught up to the Uchiha girl. "He's crushing on me so hard…" she implied of Mitsuki, "like, as if!"

Boruto watched his friend dash off into the distance. Although he wouldn't admit it, deep down he hoped that the Sarada delivered it to him. Having his father come home and thank his family would be the highlight of his day. The boy sighed off that wish. He concluded that he most likely wouldn't see him for a awhile and turned back to the city to go home. About a quarter of the way into their route back to the house, Mitsuki parted ways with him, stating that he had something important to attend to before he forgot about it again. In light of that, Boruto pulled out his phone. Akua hadn't called him like he expected her to. He dialed her number and waited. The phone rang, but there was no answer. He tried a second time. No answer.

* * *

The Aishu Bay was brimming with chaos and hysteria. All of it was set off by the surprise attack of Kusagakure forces on the ground in the Land of Waterfalls. Iwagakure forces were stormed and overrun, which prompted the Union to act. They were unable to stop the first wave of shinobi from touching the sea, however, and the shinobi positioned at the castle were resupplied and relieved of their duties. The strength of opposing defenses increased exponentially. Surveillance confirmed this a few hours too late. At this point, the naval forces of Konohagakure and Kumogakure were obligated to act. Around 11:00 am was the time Konoha's forces received the green light to commence their operation. The Hōzuki Castle was to be liberated by any means necessary. The Seventh had no choice but to agree with his colleagues.

Infantry speed boats were lowered from the warships by the hundreds into the turbulent currents of the Bay, filled with about half a dozen ninja each. The warships were too large to maneuver through the tall and sharp stone obstacles that protruded from the surface and any contact would mean unnecessary damage. All of the charged at max velocity towards the high cliff in which the Castle was situated upon. Their objective was straightforward. They were tasked with suppressing any Kusagakure nin or any opposing shinobi while also locating and rescuing the hostages. Though there was another group of shinobi with a different task.

Akua watched her phone buzz on the bedside table of her cabin quarters, but there was no time to answer it. "C'mon Shrimp, get your wetsuit on, we gotta go now!" Mirai ordered. Akua was already rushing, zipping up the garment. It was a navy blue, skin-tight neoprene suit with long sleeves that shut around her wrists and legs that sealed her ankles. A silver Konoha insignia was printed on the left shoulder and hooks about the waistline allowed for the black ninja tool pouches to be applied. Black, close-toed boots were also adorned.

"Mirai, do you really think these are gonna help us? Those waters are pretty rough."

"If you keep your oxygen mask on you'll be alright, now c'mon!"

The girls eventually arrived to the stern of the warship where their special mode of transportation was located. It was a low-lying, two passenger motor-aquatic vehicle with the seats in line with each other. They wasted no time in entering their unique speed boat. As the elder female of the group, Mirai sat in front with the controls. She was also the only one who knew how to operate the vehicle out of the two Chunin. The hanger door was open and awaiting their departure. The engine was activated and all buttons on the interface illuminated the tiny cockpit while Akua shut the sturdy glass latch. The Uchiha girl positioned herself in her seat and strapped herself down while the vehicle powered up. She then proceeded to apply her oxygen mask. It covered her face, a portions of her head and her ears with a built in headset. Mirai spoke over the microphone, "You ready, Shrimp?!"

"Yea I'm all se—"

Inertia slammed Akua's back into her seat as the boat bolted from the warship and tore across the Aisu Bay.

Mirai and Akua's vehicle was not only a speedboat, it was designed as a stealth submarine. The watercraft upon full throttle gradually submerged itself beneath the surface of the Bay. The heat and sound of the engine at this point was undetectable, no longer appearing on radars. Furthermore, unlike the reason of the infantry who took a beeline towards the Hōzuki Castle, they were headed away from it. On one end of the cliff in the middle of the Bay was of course, the Prison. However, that cliff was over a kilometer in length and at the far end of that distance was their destination. "Mirai, reporting into mission command," she suddenly announced. She never took her eyes away from the subaquatic view in front of her; guiding the vehicle around the earthen obstacles would be impossible if she did.

"Roger that. What's the status?" Tenten requested.

"We're approximately two minutes out from the LZ, over."

"Good time!" Tenten commended, "You have 55 minutes remaining, I repeat, 55 minutes. Mission command out!"

Akua tightened her fists. The completion of this mission was practically minutes away. There was something that didn't sit well with her though. The operation was going too smoothly. Although they were well prepared, there was a sliver of doubt in her mind, the cautious question of "what if?" lingered. It didn't matter. There was much at stake for this beyond the liberation of the Hōzuki Castle and the securing of the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Those were the most important objectives, but the Uchiha girl had her own personal motives. The reward for this mission would be one of the largest payments she'd received so far since becoming a chunin. These monetary funds were crucial to one of her more dormant wishes: to save up enough to move out of the slums of Meguro with her mother. Akua wanted to provide her mother with a better life than she'd previously lived. Being a ninja for a wealthy city was her way of doing so. It was one of the two rationales she had for even attempting rise through the ranks, the other being to develop the necessary skills, connections and opportunities to find out what happened to her brother all this time.

The mission continued as planned. With about 49 minutes remaining, Akua and Mirai were already pulled up to a grotto at the end of the cliff. They both took a moment to gaze up at the 200 meter high ledge. There was enough water at the entrance to leave the submarine there while they exited onto the land of the cave. Its interior was damp and had a moist atmosphere. The ceiling was a polished mix of uncut, aquamarine pearls dripping with salt water deposits. The rest of the earth was dark washed with patches of water scattered about the ground. High tide completely submerged the grotto when the time came, however, it was barely noon so the girls didn't worry about it. "Let's hurry this thing up, Mirai," Akua said, removing her oxygen mask.

"What are you doing?! We gotta dive for the Box..!"

"I don't need it, and we don't have to," she giggled.

"What do you mean, Shrimp?" Mirai asked, laying out her tools in a corner of the grotto to make sure she had all she needed.

"I think I've got an easier way to do this." Akua sat on the floor cross-legged and weaved a series of hand seals, ending with her left hand flat over her right fist. " _Water Release!_ " A sudden surge of chakra filled the area enough to make Mirai's hair stand on end more than it already did. Akua's eyes flashed open to her Sharingan. In that instant there was ripple in the surface of the violent waves in which she directed her vision. Soon, that ripple in the surface split into a drilling whirlpool angled towards the deep ocean floor. At the bottom rested the jewel they travelled for; it was the Box, covered in algae, strands of seaweed, sand, and small aquatic life such as sea stars and shellfish.

"Goddamnit shrimp! How come you didn't tell me you knew water style?!"

"Well, you never asked me!"

"Pft! I don't need to ask that! What else are ya hiding from me?"

"Hm… I—" Akua's hand seal instantly shifted to clasping her palms shut. The seafloor revealing whirlpool followed suit, closing together into a beaming torrent that fire directly behind to two girls. Its force cut the air and generated a gust of wind that blew into Mirai's face, tousling her hair back. There was a grinding impact of the liquid boring craters into the cave wall and the sound of debris hitting the ground. Mirai spun around to see two Kusagakure ninja with their bodies buried underneath drenched rubbled.

"—What the hell?!" Mirai reacted.

There was a steady clap. "Well done, well done, as expected of a child that went through the Genesis Program," praised an absence male voice. The owner was now raising into view, moulding out of the grotto floor. His jade, samurai-styled chest and shoulder plates rattled as they materialized. "Do you remember me, young Akua?"

The Uchiha girl narrowed her eyes in disgust. "Hideyoshi's son. Didn't bother remembering your first name, the last is the only thing remotely important about you," she replied.

"HAHAHA!" he roared, "You're a humorous one. I never would have expected that. I didn't expect you to remember my name either, we've only encountered once in the past. Besides, you seem to have come across something I require. Would you mind stepping aside, child?" His right hand rested upon the end of the weapon strapped to his side. It was a broad katana, similar the the one she discovered a few months prior. She was able to see the influx of chakra being channeled into the sword with her Sharingan and fell its destructive intensity with her sensory abilities. Mirai could tell that she was analyzing him and slowly braced herself. Shibōjiko was preparing for an attack based on her response, but she wasn't going to wait for him.

"Go to hell." Akua's hand seal shifted and third time, resulting her next jutsu. Twin fangs spiralled out of the ocean and tunneled into the grotto entrance towards the man. The liquid bullets conjoined midway to multiply their striking force, burying Shibōjiko under a salty jet stream that shook the inner sanctums of the hollow cave. The girl was sure she had him pinned down before he could draw his weapon, but she couldn't have been much further from the truth. Her technique was being warded against.

"Did you get him, Shrimp?"

"I don't k—"

"Let me show you the power of the Legendary Blades… Dojigiri… Yasutsuna!" his voice echoed. There was a blinding flash of light that left the vision of the two girls blank.

Mirai shouted out to her partner, "AKUA—"

 _BOOM!_

It was a late sound because by the time it went off, the entire cliff side was already an erupted shower of debris into the Aisu's ocean. There was no fiery explosion involved, just the instant flash. However, someone in the distance had a different view. Tenten, for example, witnessed a physical shockwave of force slice through all 200 meters of vertical earth then proceeded to blast it to smithereens. The 1,300 meter, horizontal length was literally cut down to simply a thousand; an entire piece of the cliff vanishing into bits of stone and displaced tides. In fear of what occurred, Tenten compromised her original plans and ordered two platoons to an immediate investigation.

* * *

Mirai, who the blast wasn't directed to, was able to keep herself on solid ground. She prevented fatal injury with the use of her wind release, but she still had to endure the stinging pelts of crumbling stone. Even though most of the 200 meter cliff was now in pieces underwater, another portion of the land formation was folding into the area that use to be the grotto. She had to slice her way from underneath a pile of earth to free herself. The girl stumbled to her feet. Her wetsuit was torn around her arms, back and legs with each area laced with blood and dirt. The sweat that trailed down from her forehead stung the gashes on her face. " _What the fuck just happened…_ " Mirai felt her heart beating in her stomach at the sight in front. The younger Hideyoshi had simply drawn his sword. A devastating realization shot through her mind. Her partner wasn't there with her. She trailed her vision about the rubble for any sign of her but found none. Rage imbued from her own two-tone crimson eyes, twisting her facial expression in fury.

"Ooh… you don't look too happy. Ah… but I think I over did it a bit"—he was rolling the wrist with the lengthy sword in hand—"that criminal is still valuable to me. Now I'm going to have to fish her out of the water. She's probably dead now though."

"Shut your fucking MOUTH!" Mirai was already at the end of her pounce on him. Her trench knife was drawn back, ready to punch. When she came down, she wielded a bladeless, steel knuckle in her left hand. Her eyes shot to the piece of metal on the ground then to the long katana blade in Shibōjiko's hand. "What the…"

"You, you're expendable though." He raised his sword and brought it down upon her head. Mirai was quick enough to stop his arm with her now free left hand. She gripped onto his wrist like her life depended on it. The already damaged material of her wetsuit was tearing around her stressed bicep, but the Sarutobi girl found herself crashing through a pile of stone. "You weren't able to see that kick? You should pay more attention," he said as he approached her.

Mirai's back laid upon the jagged surface of the rocks. She stared up into grey sky that she could see now that the grotto no longer existed. Her neck relaxed beyond her control, causing her face to fall to the right. Shibōjiko's feet were in her view. "Die." The tip of Dojigiri dropped into her chest like it was a slab of butter. The man seemed satisfied that the girl was now drowning in her own blood by his puncturing of her lung. The sudden shock in her eyes forced a grin out of him.

"You first." The sound of ripping cloth and flesh instilled shock into Shibōjiko's own eyes. He hadn't caused it. The cold sting of severed skin opened up across the man's back. He held in his cries in order fire his left heel behind him, but he felled to his knees immediately after. When he brought his eyes up from the ground and looked to where he kicked, there the girl with the messy black hair was, guarding herself from his strike with her crossed forearms. She had a sly grin on her face. "That feel good? I'm positive it doesn't, I would know…"

"How the hell..!" He turned back to the body his katana pierced. It erupted in smoke to reveal another stone of the pile. "Tch!"

"If you really think you're gonna cut me with that sword… come try it…"

* * *

Among the diced stones was the body of a young girl, however still in tact. The volume of her water release provided enough cushion between her and the flash that she didn't get whiplashed by its full destructive capacity, however she was still rendered airborne. She experienced the push of the shock wave for the entirety of her fall and therefore was unable to save herself before she plummeted headfirst into an ocean with the intentions of swallowing her whole.

Akua's body tossed and turned in the vicious current like a ragdoll. The girl panicked and all she accomplished by doing so was sinking. All she could see was the teal ocean rushing by her eyes. Air bubbles forced themselves out of her nose, being replaced by the dread water of the Aisu Bay. Akua paddled and splashed but the pressure against her body was closing in due to her breached wetsuit. The surface was nowhere in sight. Her body sank past the hundred meter mark. Hundred fifty. Two hundred. The last bubble of air escaped from her mouth, torn at by the subaquatic violence. Had she kept her oxygen mask on, it would have been a different circumstance. Now she was making a turbulent descent to the ocean floor, absent of her own efforts. " **You better wake up…** " growled a familiar, demonic voice. Her eyes were halfway shut. " **If you don't… you're going to die, like the worthless waste of flesh you are…** " The freezing liquid she was being buried underneath was nothing compared to the sensation in the right side of her neck and shoulders.

" _Fuck… you..!_ " She cursed at the voice in her head. "Grraaggggllhhh!" the girl gargled, clasping her hands together in a hand seal. Her Sharingan burned through the dark depths of the ocean. The wild rapids circled her now in a uniform, organized manner. All other currents diverting their directions to converge on her. The intensity of the rotation continued to magnify itself with the more chakra she infused until her body jet beamed towards the surface.

While Mirai was losing ground in the middle of combat with Shibōjiko, Akua sprung from the ocean in the midst of her own water fang bullet. The girl pulled off an acrobatic, backward somersault with a single sign held. She left her water release creation behind as it fired off into several hundred, miniature yet high speed bullets raining down upon the Kusagakure leader. Mirai was able to escape the range of the attack, but as expected, he was able to dodge or cut through a majority of the projectiles. The Sharingan kept a keen eye on him, though. He was slipping. Now was her chance to strike. Akua used the liquid needle shower as cover to dash towards him. A kunai was drawn and thrusted, but she was frozen in place by the throbbing of her chest. Akua's next few strides were unbalanced, stumbling until her knees hit the solid ground. "AGHH!" she hacked, spitting up a pasty, pitch black fluid substance. The strength of her water style crumbled and splashed over her body. Her hair was already damp against her back and matted to her face. The girl cupped her hand over her mouth to try and hold the expulsion back, but spilled regardless. Her body hit the floor and her lungs hiccuped after she felt like she'd coughed up three of them.

The Hideyoshi absorbed all the pain he was feeling across his body. Some of those needles had pierced through his arms, legs and armor, but no vital spots were struck. His black, jade-sparkled haori was now strained with blotches of his own blood. The thought that these children were able to put him through such a chore was infuriating for him. Although he wasn't pushed to his limit, the man still recognized them as beneath his pedestal. He was royalty and nothing less. There shouldn't be a scratch on him, especially with the weapon he was carrying. He came to the conclusion that he was spending too much time playing around with these two chunin while his men were up top defending the Castle. Even the two he brought with him to the grotto were put down. The Box of Ultimate Bliss was a reach away, buried beneath the ocean of the Bay itself. That was another thought that ran through his mind, the fact that the Union would be so foolish as to hide the treasure at his doorstep. He chuckled out loud. He was ready to butcher the young Uchiha girl at his feet, with his katana hovering above her skull. "You would've been such a great weapon for us," he reminisced. The man started to relive what he had for breakfast that morning. Then the evening he spent with his wife the day before. The memory of when he became the leader of Kusagakure surfaced. His life was replaying in reverse all in an instant.

"Wind style… Deathwind Step," announced a voice.

Akua saw drops of liquid mixing with the water in the craters of the old grotto floor. There was a grainy-red tint to the puddle near her face. She had a feeling that it was her own blood, that Shibōjiko had pierced a katana through her body, but she didn't feel any different than she did before. The girl pressed her palms into the wet ground and pushed herself to her to a sitting kneel. In front of her was a man with a sprinkler for a neck. The Uchiha girl didn't seem phased by the sight. She was still hiccuping the black ooze dripping down her lip. Her head hung down to her chest and she turned to gaze behind her. It was Mirai's back. The Sarutobi's body was collecting itself from wavering gales. When her right hand rematerialized, she wiped the blood from the trench knife it wielded.

The lion of a man that was Shibōjiko refused to collapse. He gripped his severed throat with one hand while swinging his katana with the other. However, his forearm was twisted at the elbow and snapped back in the same instant. Mirai was glaring directly into his dilating pupils. "You shouldn't have taken your eyes off of me," she informed before pushing him down with his katana anchored in his chest. Instead of being pushed out of the wound when the man's back hit the floor, the tip of the blade simply cut clean into the solid stone.

Akua felt her shoulder being pressed against. "You alright, Shrimp? You sounded like you were about to throw up your stomach there. And all this… black shit… that's not norma—"

"I'll be fine… it's nothing." Akua struggled to her feet with the help of Mirai. "You shouldn't have killed him. Taking him prisoner would've made him more beneficial to us."

"Ah… it was an accident..?"

"You think they'll believe that?" Akua pulled the sword from his chest to examine it.

"Maybe… maybe not… tch! He didn't know how to talk to women anyway!"

"Hey… did you feel… weird about doing that? Taking his life?"

Mirai's comical expression flattened out. "He isn't the first, and he probably won't be the last. I feel the same butterflies in my stomach as I make the decision and the guilt after it's executed all the times I've done it—this would be the fourth. But enduring that, I've learned, that's what it takes to be a shinobi. If I didn't do it, you might have died today, Shrimp. I had to choose someone to live, and someone to die."

"I see. Well, we should complete the mission now, shouldn't we?"

Mirai patted her shoulder, "Of course."

By the time their reinforcements arrived, Kumogakure had already confirmed the reception of the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Hishiro was apart of one of the platoons that came. He, along with the rest of his team were stunned at the sight. It was difficult to fathom that two chunin were able to eliminate the leader of Kusagakure, a shinobi who was on the verge of being considered S-ranked. The girls sat at ease on the rocks when they noticed help had arrived, but they were way too late to the party.

* * *

The rest of Karin Uzumaki's afternoon carried on in a positive note after she received a call about the status of her daughter's mission, two days after its completion. She was one of the first individuals, besides the elites of each shinobi village, to learn that the Hōzuki Castle had been successfully secured. It seemed to be the only good news that she received in a while. Just the other day, for example, she learned that Suigetsu had entered her room within Orochimaru's hideout while she was away at one of his other bases to retrieve equipment. He even had the nerve to go through her desk. She specifically instructed the men whom she considered idiots not to tamper with her belongings. Karin had scolded Suigetsu that same day she found out, since his intrusions resulted in a misunderstanding with Sarada, who was apparently a guest in her room as well. Such were the things that peeved the woman, but she put them behind herself. There were more important things that she had to tend to.

Karin sat down at her desk, as she'd done a thousand times before, and opened one of her 55 notebooks. All of them were filled with information she formulated herself about the same topic: Yabune's Serum in Akua's body. The woman was aware of the physical enhancements that the weaponized serum provided her, but also discovered serious drawbacks. It caused a strain on her body whenever she utilized it, and the serum itself was sentient. With the acquisition of the device from Orochimaru's other hideout, the reaper machine, she was able to discover another effect. When Karin applied samples of Akua's blood cells sealed within a petri dish to the machine, it was stripped of its nutrients and vigor. This was expected of the machine, but what was unexpected was how the blood cells were unnaturally rejuvenated, transforming into a solid black color. Karin wrote this down into her notebook. Several ideas surfaced into her mind as to what it could mean. The one she betted on the most was a theory that suggest the sentience of the serum depended upon the natural strength within Akua's body. Whether or not this referred to her daughter physically alone, mentally, spiritually or all together was a mystery to her. She would need more tests to figure it out. Of course, she had every intention of doing so, but her work was interrupted. The scribbling sounds of ballpoint pen against paper came to an abrupt stop. The woman stared down into her writing. "I don't seem to recall inviting _you_ here," she said, referring to the individual behind her, standing in her doorway.

"You didn't. I want to talk."

"And what makes you think I would want to talk to you?"

"Maybe because we apparently have a child… something you've hidden from me for over ten years now, Karin."

The woman turned around in her seat to acknowledge the sight of the man. He had medium length, crow black hair that covered his left eye and a black cloak with a lavender blue inner lining. He had the same expression on his face that she had ogled for years. Karin chuckled. "I have two children, Sasuke, and they don't have a thing to do with you."

"Akuri, the fema—"

"Akua."

"Yes… Akua… I know she has the Sharingan."

"And what of it? Are you insinuating that you're her father? Is Sasuke attempting to be a responsible adult?!"

"What are you getting at…" Sasuke eyebrows lowered.

"Oh… was there too much sarcasm? Newsflash, Sasuke, it's not responsible to have unprotected sex with women and vanish the next day. They just might get pregnant, shit-for-brains. You might not remember any of that though, I know now you were probably too intoxicated to even recognize me."

"I'm sor—"

"Shut up. I don't need your forgiveness. They're not mistakes to me."

Sasuke had never complied to such an order in his entire life. There wasn't an instance he could recall, yet he found himself doing that here. He finally mustered the room to speak again. "You said children… who's the other?"

"His name is Senshi."

"How come I haven't heard anything about him? Is he…"

"…I don't know… I don't know where he is, I've been searching."

"Karin…"

"Look… I've been through a lot the past few years. I haven't been a good mother because of what you did. But now I'm trying to be the person they needed all along… to Akua at the very least."

"And you waited all this time… it doesn't make any sense to me… you even delivered Sarada?!"

"I didn't realize that was your child. I was just being a good samaritan to you and someone who saved my life in the past from the person who tried to kill me." Karin glared him down.

Sasuke knew exactly what she was referring to. "You could have said it then…"

"Heh, wanna know something Sasuke? I was pregnant and gave birth to _my_ two children… waited a year after that to get in touch with you. And when you and Sakura showed up to my doorstep, I was still ready to forgive you all over again like I always did. You tried to KILL me for fuck's sake. But this time was different. When I saw you two hold that child, I was through. Do you wanna know how far you pushed me? After throwing me under a train so many times? I kept the children a secret from you that day because I decided that I was going to kill you. If I was going to do that, I need to raise them as weapons. That's all they were to me."

Sasuke couldn't believe the words spoken from the woman's lips, the malicious tone in her voice.

"But I realized about a year and a half ago that… what I was doing to my children was wrong. And now Senshi is begone because of my bloodlust and mistakes. Mistakes I intend to fix. As for you… tch…"

The Uchiha male held his head down. "I see… then this is all my fault. I understand what you're trying to do, but you don't have to do this alone."

"If this is all you came here for, please show yourself the door. I'm sure you have a family to go take care of. Sakura tells me you haven't been around for them much either." Karin twirled her seat around to face her desk.

"You still talk to her..?"

"I'm a pretty good actor Sasuke. I kept in touch with Sakura over the years to keep tabs on you for my own benefits. Although, I have felt sympathy for her recently. I even sent _her_ daughter some new glasses yesterday."

Sasuke noticed that fact that she even refused to acknowledge him as Sarada's father. The man sighed. There was an extended silence before Karin spoke again.

"…It's funny… I just remembered… I told Suigetsu that if you were happy, I was happy. Wonder what was going through my mind then"—she rested her forehead in her left palm, chuckling once more—"I guess the old me came through… maybe there's still something left in my heart for you. How pitiful."

"When I finish my mission, we can work this out."

"Sasuke, you don't have anything to work out with me. Your children might say otherwise, especially the ones who've yet to see you."

"After all I've done… or haven't done, you would let that happen?"

"If Akua, or Senshi if I ever come around to him, want to seek you out, then that's up to them."

"I see. Very well then, you've said your part. It's unfortunate that things turned out this way. Even if you won't accept my apologies, I offer them, not because of your pregnancy, but because I've been a terrible friend to you since the day we became acquainted." Sasuke toward the exit of Karin's room. "I have to go now, I need to get back on track with my reconnaissance… and I hope to see you again someday, Karin, regardless of whether or not you hate me."

Karin felt his presence vanish from the vicinity all together. He was nowhere near the hideout for as far as she could sense. Cushioned by the loose-leaf paper of her notebook, Karin's forehead bashed against the desk. She was glad he left when he did. The woman didn't believe holding back the tears that dripped onto the lense of her glasses any longer was possible.

* * *

The loss of the Hōzuki Castle didn't compare to the unfathomable devastation Jurou Hideyoshi was overcome with after having identified the corpse of his first born son. No tears were spared however. It was as if his tear ducts and eyelids no longer functioned. The man didn't flinch when being informed of the cause of death. The lacerations around his throat and the twelve inch wound along his sternum, caused by the tip cutting of Dojigiri, provided all the information he needed. It was clear to him that his son was murdered, forced to be a martyr because of what he believed in. That thought was confirmed, though, by one of the men who accompanied his son. Furthermore, that shinobi witnessed Akua draw the blade from the young Hideyoshi's chest. The was the only name on Jurou's mind: Akua.

When the Feudal Lord exited the morgue, he had already requested his councilmen to be assembled. However there was an individual waiting for him outside, leaned against one of the polished statues that decorated the Kusagakure hospital courtyard. It was the boy in the black mask. " **Hideyoshi…** " he spoke, " **I heard about your son… I've got a proposition for you.** "

Jurou turned his head to the left to acknowledge the boy's presence and paid full attention.

* * *

 **A/N: The Scarlet Spring was quite hectic, was it not? As stated before, lots of information was compressed into this chapter as preparation for the beginning of the next major arc with the installment of chapter 15. I hope you're all prepared, for this upcoming chapter will be titled** _ **The Onyx Night**_ **.**

 **I hope you enjoyed my take on the Naruto Gaiden Manga of the Seventh Hokage's Scarlet Spring. I enjoy your feedback!**

 **Fav/Follow/Review!**


	15. An Onyx Night

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm here to grant you another update to the story. This is the beginning of the new arc at last and there's plenty packed into this chapter. It took me awhile to get this one out since I've been working on drawings during the week. I posted one a couple days ago and after the releasing of this chapter there will be another posted, both being on my deviantart. If you would like to see them, simply search synystersketch on Deviantart.**

 **Thanks for viewing and enjoy the chapter!**

 **Chapter 15**

 **An Onyx Night**

Goosebumps rippled along the young Uchiha girl's ivory skin once a kiss of cold steel was felt pressed against the anterior side of her elbow. A gentle pressure was applied to the medicinal device; the fine tip of the sterile needle then punctured her ulnar vein. The girl watched as the dark, carmine fluid being extracted from her steadily began inflating the clear, pint-size package hanging from machinery and chords to her right. She felt her muscles softening; her body growing weaker by the second. Her head rolled atop her neck, causing her vision to shift with a blur to the stone-tiled ceiling above. Her sight constantly adjusting, indecisive to be sharp or indistinct for a moment, quickly affixed upon a woman who was seated at her bedside, gazing back at the girl through her twinkling spectacles. The woman's hands were clasped in the middle of her lap before the Uchiha child felt a sensation of warmth emit from a palm cupping her cheek.

"I'm sorry, darling… " Karin's lips pursed. "I know I've taken a lot of blood from you lately, but if I'm going to get you better—,"

"M-Mom… don't worry about it," Akua delivered a weak smile, "I'm fine, and I understand…"

Karin reached to grasp her daughter's free hand and held it to her chest. "If I could, I'd restore every drop of your blood with my own, but… my blood type…"

"It's okay, mom…really, I'm a big girl, I can endure this…"

Karin returned her daughter's positive expression. "You're right… you've grown up quite a lot, haven't you? Twelve years old, almost thirteen."

Akua gave her mother a soft nod before continuing to add on, "Your birthday… it's next month, isn't it? June 20th."

"Yea, how'd you remember?" The woman seemed surprised, as she had not recalled ever relaying that information to Akua.

"Hm… you think I wouldn't remember my own mother's birthday?"

Karin laughed. "You really are one of a kind, you know. You turned out so well… even though I didn't have much of a role until now…"

"God, you sure like beating yourself up about that… mom, you know I don't hold any of it against you. Besides… you weren't _nearly_ as awful as you're making yourself out to be!"

"What do you mean...?"

"Well… it's true that you didn't speak to us much… but that was mainly because it was mandatory for Senshi and I to spend most of our time in the Genesis dorms. Whenever we did come home… there was always something waiting for us, like a fully prepared meal. I could taste the effort you put into it. I always knew deep down that you loved us, Mom."

"Akua…" Karin used the ends of her palms to rub premature tears from her eyes.

 _ **Beep!**_

The machine that was extracting Akua's blood ceased activity, for the packet was at full capacity.

"I'm lucky that you're such a kind girl," Karin said while standing from her seat to walk around Akua to the opposite side of her bed. The woman sat herself back down into her rolling chair, sliding over to Akua and removing the needle from her arm. Karin tossed the used piece of metal in the trash and inserted the tube, which was connected to a mechanical module, distributing the freshly drawn blood into separate capsules. "Alright, that should do it." she typed into her keyboard and clicked around on her monitor. "Has any of the medicine I've made recently helped you at all?"

"Yes, for the most part, but I did have an outbreak about two weeks ago… while I was at the Hozuki Castle. It was very minor, though. It hasn't gotten as bad as it did in the Chunin Exams."

"I see… then my research is going in the right direction. These results even prove that." a faint smile curled upon Karin's lips.

"Hmm, what are they saying?"

"Well, the strength of the serum originally overwhelmed your cells. However, the growth rate of those that were infected has stagnated to less than half a percent increase per year due to how many the medicine attacks. Last year, it was almost five percent."

"Woah! That's amazing! Does that mean I'll be getting better soon?" Akua beamed with triumph in her tone.

"If we keep this progress up, I'll be able to develop a method to cure you," Karin's smile grew as she stared intently at her screen. "Your blood samples have been the most integral component, darling."

"No way! It was your non-stop work and persistence, mom! You're brilliant."

"Oh, Akua…!" her mother's embarrassment was highlighted by the rays of the monitor that shone in front of her.

Akua giggled at her reaction. "It's true!"

"Haha, okay, okay, only a little bit, though. Once I sort all this out, I'll be able to bring my research to Konoha. They'll be able to complete the process once they have all the notes. It'll take time, though."

"I see. I'm really excited. I won't have to worry about this thing anymore…"

"I promised to help you, didn't I?" Karin reminded her. She rose from her seat, causing it to make a half revolution with the back of the chair facing towards the young girl. "I'm gonna go get you a cookie and some orange juice to help ease your blood loss, I'll be right back, okay?"

Akua nodded, letting her head sink into the material of her pillow. The compact room fell into complete silence once her mother stepped out. The both of them were located in Karin's personal lab room within Orochimaru's hideout. To Akua, it appeared to be just another somber area. She was not aware of the people who had been within the vicinity as of late, such as her half-sister Sarada, the Seventh Hokage, and most recently her father. Despite the unaesthetic appeal of the room, the silence allowed Akua to relax—perhaps a bit too much.

Within the duration of the past thirty days, Akua had nearly two and a half pints of blood drawn from her body. Such frequent withdrawals were impossible for an ordinary human to withstand, however being a descendent of the Uzumaki clan provided genes that allowed her to undergo the lack of blood without much unease. Still, Akua remained in a constant state of minor-fatigue. The comfortability of the mattress she lied upon magnified this feeling. Her eyelids were now weighing down, becoming difficult to keep open. For a slight moment they shut and the posterior view of the seat vanished from her sight. Akua thought that falling asleep before her mother returned would be rude, however. She instinctively snapped herself out of the drowsy daze to find herself being accompanied by an unwelcomed visitor.

Seated in the opposite direction of the chair was an individual that Akua shared a brief and unpleasant encounter with a few months prior. The visitor was hunched over, chin resting comfortably against his forearms that folded across the topside of the back support. Akua's heart throbbed.

" **How're you holding up,** " a glacial tone of voice spoke as the man behind the black mask inquired.

The Uchiha girl lunged from her resting position in attempt to strike. Her right arm was practically numb, but her left, being fully functional, was put to use to launch her fist. Nearly reaching the man's mask, Akua's knuckles froze just a few inches before it. A sensation of paralysis stemmed from her central nervous system as the horrid touch crawled at a rapid pace throughout her body due to blood loss. The chemical scent of carbon fiber engulfed Akua's nostrils. Her mouth became encased beneath a glove before her head forcefully pressed back into the pillow by the same palm. Akua's attempt to scream was siphoned away before she could even think about receiving a chance to move an inch of her lips or jaw. She stared into the sinister, blood-crimson tinted pair of eyes that she witnessed in Hōfu, the same eyes with an unfathomable power able to swallow her dōjutsu whole. " **That wasn't very kind of you.** "

Akua shrieked and screeched the man's alias in an awfully muffled tone under his palm, causing the strength of his grip to close in on her teeth and jaw.

" **I can sense that you're… quite confused… distressed… why is that? Is it because I'm here in your presence right now?** "

The muscles in Akua's neck contracted with her frequent squirming, but to no avail. Her body refused to respond to the commands of her brain.

" **I believe it is pretty… absurd as to how I was able to find you,** " he said to himself, pondering above. The mask returned to scope out Akua's mixed emotions of fright, perplexity and rage. " **That's not important, though. I'm just here to have a harmless chat.** "

Akua wasn't able to perceive the smirk behind his mask. The man assumed that Akua would want to know what he wished to talk about with her, since she wasn't able to express herself in that moment, so he continued.

" **What do you think of death, Akua? Do you fear it?** "

The girl remained still, nodding neither yes or no to his question. In reality, she had no answer ready, even if she did want to respond.

" **Most people would avoid a direct answer and say something along the lines of themselves not wanting to die. Yet, that would simply register, in theory, as yes; they do fear death. But what are they afraid of exactly? I've had a lot of time to philosophize to myself, and I've come up with two possibilities; death is either a transition to another life, an afterlife, whether it be a partition between good and bad, heaven and hell... or, it is nothingness, a dreamless, eternal sleep. Perhaps that is the scary part about it all… the fact that we don't know for sure, the possibility that death can simply be nonexistence."**

Akua's eyebrows furrowed. She was able to comprehend the words he spoke, but the thoughts that he was implementing into her head were indeed frightening.

" **I can see it in your eyes. The concept is so difficult to wrap your mind around, it's terrifying. The fear of the unknown, to be exact.** " She skipped a beat; he was perceiving her thoughts and emotions.

" **In the case of my second possibility, generally considered the most terrifying of the two, is it truly so? No one knows what it's like to simply** _ **not be,**_ **which means we can make no predictions about it. So, then, how can we be afraid if there is no way to feel fear in that state? You may be thinking yes, it is still possible to fear it. That feeling in your chest is completely discernible. But your fear in this case, is not of death itself; it's the process or transition into that state. Your fear is of the pain from the knife I might stab into your chest. It's of the feeling of my snapping your neck. It is of feeling your consciousness fading, feeling your life slip away from you, and the helplessness because there isn't a thing you can do to stop it. That is the truth behind that fear. Life and death cannot exist at the same time, therefore if death will be nothingness, it's impossible to fear it."**

Akua's breathing against the corner of the man's palm became erratic. She could not tell what he was going to do next, nor did she know why he was saying the things he did. Kuro Hensō claimed death was nothing to fear, so then what?

" **Personally, I don't believe that idea is true. I believe my first possibility is the case, the concept of the afterlife. It's the most appealing of the two after all. The thought of being able to live on without the restrictions that the physical body has on the individual. Even the concept of burning in hell is less frightening to me than oblivion. Simply because… I can feel it… perceive what it feels like… I can predict and prepare. Specifically in my case, I'm certain that hell is nothing to fear, and I'll tell you why. There isn't anything there that is worse than what can happen to you here. I've experienced it first hand, the horrors of this world.** _ **We already live in hell.**_ "

The polished mask carved from onyx gemstone was uncomfortably close to Akua's face, nearly pressing against her nose.

" **No amount of endless torture can exceed the magnitude of utter loneliness. For humans, I've learned it is the most destructive state of being in all perceivable reality. Solitude. Such a thing can result, for example, from the deaths of the people you care about. That's part of the reason why we fear death. But like I said before, death isn't the cause of that fear. It's something else. You're afraid of them leaving you. You're afraid of being alone. Thus, we naturally fear that state of being, proving its power. That's quite selfish of us, though. In reality, we only ever think of ourselves."**

Akua's eyes narrowed at his words. He could tell that she disagreed with him. Perhaps everything he said was going in one ear and out the other. With his right palm still clenched over Akua's mouth, Hensō returned to his original position.

" **I could speak about this for hours, Akua. But that's not what I came here to do… nor do I have the time. In fact, you still might be wondering why I'm here, wondering why I'm speaking to you about this. It's simple, really. I'd like to think that the people I've lost have nothing to fear, that the people I kill have nothing to fear. This way, we both gain some sort of solace. They get to experience the bliss of the afterlife… and I get to live knowing the fact that they were able to be granted such a wonderful…gift."**

Akua's body registered a state of danger and her eyes widened. Her muscles convulsed from the adrenaline being forced into them. Akua's sclera was bloodshot and the heart monitor to her right screamed in unison with her rapid heart rate, clocking in at a rate of 140 and rising. Great strain was forced on her body since the paralysis wouldn't let her move. It caused the veins in her neck and arms to bulge, and her complexion flushed a bright crimson.

" **Oh…you think I'm evil…or insane? Well, that's all based on perspective. Another story for a different day.** "

Hensō finally released her mouth and stood from the chair. Instead of calling for help, Akua was focused on trying to control her overactive respiration.

" **When you finally experience that hell for yourself, you'll either thank me or hate me because of it. You will no longer be ignorant. In due time, everything I've said to you will make sense.** "

Karin rushed into the lab room to witness her unconscious daughter lying in bed. She sensed the fluctuation in Akua's chakra caused by the girl's irregular heartbeat only moments ago and dropped all the edibles she was gathering to figure out what occurred. To Karin's misfortune, she wasn't able to interpret the presence of any other individual within the room until the very last minute. The woman was puzzled as she hovered over her child, examining her body for anything unusual. She noticed the marks left behind by the print of gloved fingers around Akua's mouth. There was a difference in pigmentation on Akua's skin due to the blood that seemed to have rushed to her brain—there was a lack where the fingers applied pressure. Karin then checked the monitors, seeing Akua's heartrate read 122 at that moment whilst steadily beginning to decline. She tapered her eyes and after having confirmed Akua's stability, she peered around her room, searching every corner and crevice for traces of someone or something. There was nothing but the two females. Extending her range of cognizance throughout the area that encompassed the hideout fell short of any result as well. Karin had concluded that some sort of teleportation technique took place. Whoever it was that supposedly came, she thought, must have been responsible.

The cause of Akua's unconsciousness was the inadequacy of her blood supply being moved to and fro of the extremes within her body. Although fear had been set in Karin's heart, she felt relieved that the gravity of the situation wasn't more than she could bear.

* * *

Akua gasped to life with the air she inhaled pulling her up from the mattress. Oxygen inflated her lungs as they stretched, her vision sharpening. Strands of hair hung to frame her face and sweat beaded down her damp forehead. Having sensed a chakra within her vicinity, Akua reacted without thought to whom it may be and allowed her left hook to throw her body out the seat. Her fist rested within the soft palm of a woman whose chakra and appearance now became familiar. This person also kept her from collapsing onto the ground. "Akua! Calm down! It's just me, your mom..!"

Akua lessened the pressure against her mother's palm before lowering her arm. She found her seat back in the mattress and rested her rear against it. With straight arms, Akua press her own palms against her knees and lowered her head while she caught her breath. "…I… I'm sorry, mom, I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine, just tell me what happened."

Karin retrieved her rolling seat.

"There was someone here…and he was talking to me about a bunch of garbage…and then I got so worked up. As I was passing out, he vanished. How long was I…"

"About an hour," Karin replied, holding out the small plate of chocolate chip cookies. "Here, eat these, they'll make you feel better."

"Thank you..!"

Akua took hold and commenced an immediate thrashing of the appetizing contents from the plate. "I didn't know there were cookies all the way out here," she mumbled with the chewy fragments in her mouth.

"There aren't," Karin laughed, "I made them before you arrived… the first few are actually on the floor in the kitchen. I dropped them to come see what had happened to you, then I sent a clone to get the rest because I didn't want to leave you alone again…"

The action of Akua's jaw slowed. "That person… they didn't have normal eyes… they were different, bright red like my Sharingan, but they didn't look anything like it at all. I've met this person before at Hōfu. Back then I was faint from the blood drawing, but he completely overpowered my eyes. No one's been able to do that before when they look directly into them…"

Karin's expression straightened into seriousness. She was now sifting through all the knowledge in her brain. "Red eyes… what did they look like exactly..?"

"It was… like a shuriken or something. That part was red and the rest of the iris was black."

"Inverted, huh… Is this Sasuke's blasted way of reaching out to you," Karin said to herself, almost forgetting that her daughter was present.

"…What?"

"Nothing… do you remember the person's appearance?"

"They were wearing a shiny black mask. All I can picture were the eyes… Mom, are there other eyes out there like mine? I know the Byakugan exists, but…this dōjutsu was the strongest I've ever experienced."

"Well, there are others, but…"—Karin gazed beyond the surface of Akua's violet irises— "…there isn't much I know about them, and I don't think you need to know about them either."

"Why not? I need to so I know what I'm going up against," Akua insisted.

"Just trust me, you're better off without that knowledge," Karin stressed.

Akua pouted and put the half empty plate of cookies down. "I want to go home," she demanded, beginning to pull the electrodes from underneath her clothing.

"I can't let you go out alone, what if that person attacks you again?!"

"They're gone, you can sense it, can't you? If you're so worried then you should come with me."

Karin remained silent for a moment and sighed, "I have to stay and finish synthesizing your medicine."

Akua flopped back into the mattress, turning her body so that her back faced her mother.

"Akua…"

She was able to sense her daughter's discontent. "Alright, just give me a moment, I'll take you home."

* * *

The sunlight that broke the dark horizon marked the beginning of a day many hoped to be promising. It was the third weekend in May, dubbed Sanja Matsuri. These were the days of the largest, most rambunctious festival that Konoha had to offer. Some considered it the most anticipated event of the year, eclipsing the Rinne Festival itself. It was a holiday to celebrate the pinnacle of the Spring season and to honor religious traditions. Blockades by the Konoha police-force were necessary to keep vehicles from entering the roadways. About two million people would be crowded within the streets after all, carousing away. The festivities of the day were situated in two central hubs: Sensoji Temple of Rasen in lower Konoha, as well as the Asakusa Shrine in the Toshima district of upper Konoha. With the cherry blossoms in full bloom, and the forecast calling for clear skies and bright, sunny weather, the stage was being set for a magnificent celebration.

That Friday morning, returning just in time to the city to experience the simmering jubilee, was Team 7, one of the most recently graduated Genin squads. Lead by Konohamaru Sarutobi, the team consisted of Sarada Uchiha, Mitsuki, and Boruto Uzumaki. "I can smell it already," Boruto announced, taking in the scent of the air.

"And what exactly are you smelling all the way out here at the gate," asked Sarada.

"The calm before the storm, ya know! Today's gonna be wild!"

He shook the girl by her shoulders.

"Stop that, fool!"

Sarada stepped back and readjusted her glasses in irritation.

"Boruto's right," Konohamaru stated, "the festival's brewing! Speaking of which, I need to go file our mission report so I can get prepared ASAP. Cya guys!"

The man erupted into a cloud of smoke and vanished.

The remaining three continued into the city through Edogawa. As a district that was abundant with small and clustered neighborhoods, very little celebration was prepped to occur there. Perhaps there would be a mikoshi or two running through the streets, but it wouldn't have the raucous crowd that Rasen, just on the border, would have. Edogawa was home to the four noble clans of Konoha: The Aburame, Akimichi, Hyūga, and the small Uchiha clan which currently consisted of Sakura, Sarada and Sasuke. Several other clans such as the Sarutobi and Nara resided there as well, each with their own neighborhoods and private estates. Of course, the Uchiha clan was the only one without, as they were a single familial unit. It led Sarada to question why they were considered noble in the first place. The Uchiha clan's history was unknown to her.

The group was located on the outskirts of a neighborhood familiar to Boruto when Mitsuki cut in with a question. "Hey, if we had taken a right-turn back there, we'd be getting close to the Hyūga estate, wouldn't we, Boruto?"

"Yea, what about it?"

"Oh, I was wondering if you'd be spending Sanja Matsuri with them."

"No way! Grandpa Hiashi and the other Hyūga are way too uptight for Sanja! Aunt Hanabi is the coolest though! She'd definitely be ready to party!"

"You have quite the interesting family, Boruto," Mitsuki chuckled, "What will you be doing then?"

"He's probably gonna be hanging out with that Kuka girl or whatever her name is, like he always does," Sarada interrupted.

"Hey! What's your problem? Still bitter about her kicking your ass two years ago?"

"G-Of course not!"

Sarada adjusted her glasses and folded her arms.

"Yea you are, don't lie..." Boruto pestered.

Mitsuki, confused as to who they were talking about and asked. "Who is this Kuka person? She seems rather infamous."

"Her name's not Kuka! It's _Akua_. She's an immigrant like you, Mitsuki. I met her in October of 1142, I think."

"She's also a fugitive, unlike you, Mitsuki," Sarada added.

Mitsuki raised his eyebrow, "A fugitive?"

"What are you babbling about, Sarada," Boruto exclaimed.

"Oh, you don't know, Boruto? I thought that you would've, considering you two are such _great_ friends. Perhaps she's been keeping it secret from you all this time."

"You're crazy."

"Hey now, I'm just letting you know what I heard," she defended.

Boruto continued to press her, "What'd you hear, and who from?"

"I overheard the Seventh and Shikamaru-san talking about her a few months ago, January to be exact. She's from Kusagakure, isn't she?"

Boruto nodded. Sarada had the attention of both males on her as they walked.

"Well, they were talking about how her mother stole something from Kusagakure when they left. They're considered fugitives of their home-state now and it's been causing problems for us. Apparently, Kusagakure wants them extradited and their property returned, but the Seventh won't allow it. He has some sort of soft spot for them and I don't know why."

"Just because her mother took something, doesn't mean Akua's a criminal, ya know!"

"Well, what does it make her? She's an accomplice to the crime, and now Konoha is being dragged down by it. Hell, the siege of the Hōzuki Castle even stemmed from these problems."

"Let's not jump to conclusions here, Sarada," Mitsuki warned.

"I'm not jumping, I'm telling the truth. I read the news report, you guys should try it some time."

"What did it say, then?" Mitsuki conceded.

"The Seventh was accused of several misdemeanors, which in turn, backfired on Kusagakure's former leader. It resulted in his punishment: the Hōzuki Castle being stripped from the Grass Country's jurisdiction."

"Former leader?" Mitsuki asked.

"Shibōjiko Hideyoshi, he was killed at the site. Rumors say Kuk—"

"Akua!" Boruto corrected.

"—Akua… was the one who did it, but I'm not sure. Mirai Sarutobi was also there, so that's a thing."

"You're wrong," Boruto argued, "Ku-chan would never kill anyone, she told me she wouldn't…"

"Ku-chan?" Sarada giggled, "you've got nicknames now? That's sweet, but how can you be so naive, Boruto? Do you really believe a chunin ranked shinobi partaking on siege missions has never taken a life? She was obviously selected for a reason."

"She promised."

"Promises get broken sometimes, Boruto, that's just life. I don't blame her either. In our line of work, sometimes killing someone is necessary for completion of the mission or survival."

Boruto gritted his teeth underneath his twitching lips.

"Overall, she's one of the main reasons we have problems with Kusagakure in the first place, since they've labeled her and her mother as rogue shinobi, and the Seventh has refused to compromise so far. My guess for that is…whatever they stole is too valuable or dangerous for us to give it back…or the Seventh has some sort of connection to them that we don't know about."

Boruto gulped down. He didn't want to believe anything that Sarada was saying, but it all seemed too real. The expression on her face was immovable. "…Even if you're right, that doesn't make her a bad person, I would know."

"The way she acts towards you could just be a guise."

"There's no way she'd be fake to me… it's just not possible…" His friends read the distress that was etched into his expression. His once bright azure eyes dimmed in that instant. Mitsuki was an expert at what he called 'reading between the lines,' and was able to make educated guesses about how an individual was feeling at the time. In his friend Boruto, he perceived further dismay at the realization of his own lack of knowledge about Akua.

"Boruto, I think you're right to feel that way. You've known her for quite a bit, haven't you," Mitsuki asked.

"Yea…"

"She even made that jacket for you by hand, didn't she? I remember you saying something like that."

Sarada was shaken. That information about his new jacket was unknown to her up until now, and it didn't sit well.

"Yea! Just for me! She's not fake! In your face, Sarada!"

"Shut up, baka!"

Her voice drew attention from nearby pedestrians. Their watching eyes reddened her face and caused her to sink back into a shell.

"I've got an idea. How about we spend Sanja Matsuri together with Akua so we can get to know her a little better. You guys don't have plans, right?"

Boruto shook his head. Sarada, on the other hand, didn't respond. The two males fixed their attention upon her again. "What do ya say, Sarada? Stop being difficult, you'd actually like her if you got to know her, ya know."

Sarada sighed. "Fine, I'll come. Where're we meeting up?"

Mitsuki pondered. "The crimson bridge that overlooks Hokage's walk, the main road from the southern gate, at 4pm."

"Then it's set," Boruto shouted, throwing his fist into the air.

* * *

The gentle reflection of amethyst light danced down the lines of printed text against thick leaves of paper. A left index finger trailed behind, which provided focus and prevented the skipping of valuable information. Such was how Akua spent her Sanja Matsuri morning. She had no idea that there were to be any festivities going on that day. It would prove to be the reason why the Konoha's central library in the Academy district of Adachi was near empty. Nevertheless, Akua pillaged through mountains of literature in order to find something close to what she was searching for.

Much to her chagrin, all Akua could find were books on the human eye itself. There was very little in the library on dōjutsu, as the owners of these techniques refused to reveal their secrets. There was the occasional book on the Byakugan and history books where Madara Uchiha was mentioned, but all they did was mention names that she already knew. However, there was one book that stood out. It was quite aged, compared to the others within her temporary collection. Upon the cover was an embroidered magatama, what she recognized as a tomoe of the Sharingan. "Hm…" she murmured, expressing her interest. After further examination of the cover, she read a name.

"The Sage of Six Paths… this looks promising."

Akua continued to flip through the pages of the book until she noticed a silhouette illustration of the man. The most prominent features of the black drawing were the red magatama around his chest, and the eyes encased by a ripple pattern across the iris and sclera with a violet hue similar to her own. "Woah… what's this..? Another dōjutsu maybe…"

"Yes indeed, one and the strongest of the three great dōjutsu," a female voice mentioned.

Akua, startled by the sound, jolted from her seat and nearly fell. She peered up to see the lavender eyed woman across the table, approaching from a few meters away. "Hinata-san?! How did you..?"

"I saw the book from over there," she said while pulling herself a chair, "I have good eyesight even without fully activating my Byakugan, silly."

Akua giggled, "Of course, but what are you doing all the way out here?"

"I've been running errands all morning, one of them being the returning of books Himawari checked out. She likes to read," Hinata smiled.

"Oh, is she with you right now, then?"

Hinata shook her head, "She's with her aunt and grandfather for a bit. I didn't feel like dragging her around to all the boring places I was going to. I'd rather her have fun with her auntie."

"Hm… I see, would you be willing to help me then, by any chance?" Akua requested.

"Sure, do you want to know more about this person?"

Akua's eyes lit up, "Y-Yes, please! And can you tell me more about the dōjutsu?"

"Ah… it's quite the story, this one. Everything I know about this man, whose name is Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, is through his brother, Hamura Ōtsutsuki."

"Hagoromo… and Hamura… Ōtsutsuki, huh?" Akua pondered.

"Have you heard of them before?"

"No, I haven't but… I feel like… I've always known their names. Their mother, is their mother named Kaguya?"

"Y-Yes… how did you know that?"

"I have no clue… Hinata-san, I just… it came to me."

"Woah, that's odd… well, yes that is her name. You see, people like us, my children and I being descendents of the Hyūga clan… Naruto being of the Uzumaki… and even you being of the Uchiha—"

Akua gasped, "When did you find out I was an Uchiha?!"

"Oh, I knew from the moment I saw you, and I knew that you were Sasuke's daughter. Your chakra signatures are too similar not to recognize it right away!"

"I see… I should've known you'd be able to, Hinata-san."

"Mhm! Anyway, five clans in total, the fourth and fifth being the late Senju and Kaguya clans, are all descendants of the Ōtsutsuki clan. It was about 1000 years ago, I believe, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki arrived on earth."

"Arrived on earth… then is she…"

"Yes, she was an alien from another dimension."

"Woah…then that means we're aliens?!"

"Technically, but the gene pool has watered down enough to the point where we're simply humans. There are traces of alien DNA within us though."

"The dōjutsu..?" Akua guessed.

Hinata nodded, "You're quite the intelligent one! Not just the dōjutsu, but the chakra that our DNA produces. The Uzumaki, Senju and Kaguya clans didn't have dōjutsu. I mentioned before that there were three great dōjutsu. Many reference books aren't aware that these techniques are entirely alien to the human gene pool. All of them originated with Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."

"My god this is… so much, but it's so interesting..!"

"It's only natural to want to know about your origins," Hinata claimed.

"So the dōjutsu are the Sharingan, Byakugan, and..?"

"The Rinnegan."

"Rinnegan… Like the Rinne Festival?"

"Mhm, that festival was named in honor of Hagoromo who was seen as a god-like figure to the people of earth. Together with his brother, Hamura, he defeated his mother, the progenitor of chakra. With one great technique, they sealed her at the center of what became the moon we now see in the sky. Furthermore, Kaguya's chakra was removed from her body and split into nine tailed beasts. Recently, in terms of that thousand year history, the practice of the beasts being sealed into human beings became common. These people are called jinchuuriki. If you'd like to learn more about them, you should speak to Naruto-kun, he hosts Kurama, the nine-tails!"

"Will do! So, what happened after the tailed beast were split?" Akua continued to question. Every once in awhile she would turn a page of the book. It was nowhere near as detailed as Hinata was.

"Hamura migrated to the moon to watch over the body of his mother. Hamura also inherited the ability of the Byakugan and therefore, the Hyūga clan descended from his bloodline. Hagoromo remained on earth. He had two sons: Indra the eldest, whom the Uchiha descended from, and Ashura, whom the Senju and Uzumaki descended from. As for the dōjutsu of course, Indra was the brother who inherited the Sharingan. Hagoromo was a special case,"—Hinata referred to the image of his rippled, violet eyes—"the rinnegan being a derived version of his mother's origin dōjutsu. The Sharingan is a derived version of the Rinnegan I believe, so those two are connected."

"That makes sense," Akua pondered, rubbing her chin, "but is that the only appearance of the Rinnegan?"

"As far as I know, it is. There aren't many people that have one. In fact, I believe your father is the only living individual to possess a Rinnegan."

"Oh…he must be very strong then, right?"

Hinata complied with her assertion.

"Well, there's a dōjutsu that I've witnessed for a second time now. It's the reason why I came here; to research it. It doesn't match any of these descriptions, yet was able to completely overpower my Sharingan…" Akua said, lowering her chin.

Hinata shifted her eyes as if she was peering into her own mind. "Do you remember its appearance, Akua?"

"It looked like a red, shuriken design within a pitch black iris," the girl replied.

"Red shuriken… hmm… I honestly have no clue what that could be, I'm sorry."

Akua sighed, "It's okay, Hinata-san, I'll figure it out eventually. In the meantime, can you tell me more about Hagoromo? How do you know so much about him?"

"Ah, like I said before, everything I know about him is through his brother. During the moon crisis, which you may or may not know about, I was anointed by Hamura's soul. His memories and chakra were passed over to me in order to provide the means to prevent the moon from crashing into the Earth."  
"Does that mean, you're like some messiah, Hinata-san?!" Akua blurted.

"Shh! We're in the library," Hinata whispered, "And no I'm not..!"

"But there's hardly anyone here," Akua replied in her regular voice. "So then what are you..?"

"I'm Hinata Uzumaki, silly."

Akua giggled, "I hope I'm as kind and humble as you when I grow up, Hinata-san!" Her words forced a light cherry pigment to appear on the woman's cheeks. She witnessed Hinata's genuine embarrassment, which only made the situation more humorous. Hinata finally collected herself.

"A-Ahem..! There isn't much else that I know about Hagoromo… I know that he was a benevolent man."

Akua focused on a specific page of the book, "It says here he was a crafter as well."

"That's true, I believe," Hinata confirmed. "He created a set of special weapons. Tenten-san owns a ninja tool shop somewhere in Rasen. They're on display there, you should check them out when you get the chance!"

"Commander Tenten, huh… I'll definitely hav—"

Akua's sentence was cut short at the sight of a certain section of text. The flexing muscles in her neck could be seen as she forced a down her throat.

"What's wrong?" Hinata worried. The fright expressed by the girl sitting adjacent to her couldn't be ignored.

"Oh… it's nothing," Akua reassured, closing the book. She tried to change the subject, "Is that all there is to know about Hagoromo?"

"Hmm, his legacy of Ninshu was quite important," Hinata added.

"What's Ninshu?"

"It's Hagoromo's ninja creed. He believed chakra was a way for people to understand each other's feelings without the use of words. Therefore, he shared his chakra with others so that war and conflict would end in the land because of his capacity for compassion and love. Such is why he's considered such a great, symbolic figure."

"Woah, that's… a different way to think about it."

"It was the original way… but as you know, chakra is used for ninjutsu, something that was developed and weaponized out of Ninshu. Hagoromo's sons were split between this."

"What do you mean, Hinata-san?"

"The time came for Hagoromo to select a successor for his Ninshu creed. Although it was customary to select the elder son for any sort of inheritance, the younger son, Ashura, was selected."

"Why would Hagoromo do that? Wouldn't Indra believe that it was his birthright?"

"Indeed, but Hagoromo had his reasons. Indra relied on his strength and believed that power alone was the answer to securing peace. Ashura wasn't blessed with the strength that Indra had, and so relied on the strength of others. He accumulated comrades and believed that love was the answer to securing peace. Hagoromo believed in Ashura's path, which caused Indra to war over his father's decision. Such a conflict transcended generations between the Uchiha and Senju Clans. Although that feud between the two families ended with the founding of Konoha, Naruto-kun once informed me that it didn't stop there. After their deaths, Indra and Ashura's chakra transcended time as well, reincarnating into individuals of each clan, so on and so forth. Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, the founders of Konoha, were the second most recent."

"Then who are the most recent? Are they still alive?"

"Yes, they are. Right now, it is Naruto-kun reincarnated as Ashura and your father, Sasuke, reincarnated as Indra. These two were successfully able to end the feud during the Fourth Great War."

" _So that was the connection Lord Sixth was speaking about…_ " Akua thought to herself. "Hinata-san, you said Ashura believed in love… what do you mean by that? I never really understood its true meaning."

"Oh boy, Akua, that's a tricky question. I'm certainly not an expert at it, but I'll give you my interpretation for what it's worth."

Akua nodded, giving the woman her full, undivided attention. She was eager to hear what she had to say.

"Love is… a very broad and abstract concept with different forms that it comes in, all of which are quite different from the next. There are two main categories: people/animals and then material objects."

"So love for things is different than love for people, right?"

"I'd go as far to say that love for living beings is far more powerful than for objects," Hinata included, "the people we care about are more valuable to us."

"That makes sense," Akua commented, "I wouldn't put my favorite food over my mom!"

"I'd hope not," Hinata joked with her. "Love for people is even more complex… I suppose the best way to explain it is to think of more categories. There's a love in caring for people who may not be apart of your immediate family or anyone you consider close. That love may not be for the individually per say, but it's a love of being kind and compassionate to others, seeing the good in people. That was the type of love that Ashura represented. It gets a bit deeper than that though."

"Gosh, this is complicated," Akua said, scratching her head.

"I know, but I'm sure it will make sense to you in the end. Even Naruto-kun had trouble grasping its true meaning for a while," Hinata stated, reminiscing on the past. "The next category is a love for your friends and family, I call this natural love. There's a connection, a familial bond that brings people together, so much so that you would do anything to protect or keep them happy."

"Is there another? You look like you're holding something in," Akua guessed.

"There is… this love is the most powerful, not that it exceeds the other's in importance as they're all equal, but this type of love has very clear physical effects on your body."

"What sort of physical effects? They're not dangerous are they..?"

"No no, goodness gracious! They're not intended to be harmful at all, though there is a way for it to be, but that's dependent on you. This type of love… when it's true…"

There was a distinct change in Hinata's composure and disposition, a sight that left Akua in immense awe. Hinata's shoulders relaxed, her lips gently curled, her eyelids sank a bit, but her pale lavender eyes expanded. It was as if she was staring endlessly into a meadow of brilliant, floral tranquility.

"It only happens for a certain someone…" Hinata continued to speak, "and when that person is around, you just feel awkward, your muscles get tense and you start to sweat…When they speak your cheeks burn bright red, your face shines brighter than the sun, and anything they say is the most important thing you've ever heard… When you touch them, everything comes together, topped off by the uncontrollable beating of your heart against your chest. I call this true, romantic love."

"…Romantic… I've never heard that word before…"

"Yes, it's the kind of love that brings two individuals together… sometimes resulting in them wanting to spend the rest their lives together." Hinata was smiling now, looking down at her fingers fidgeting with each other like a child.

Akua gulped down, now assessing and attempting to diagnose herself of these powerful feelings. Had she ever felt like this before? Did the descriptions Hinata give matchup? "What if… the person doesn't feel the same way… what if you're wrong about it?"

"Love has a funny way of doing things. You'll only ever feel that specific way for one specific person, and it wouldn't happen just to fall short. Your mind often confuses certain minor reactions as signals for the love I speak of, however, your heart is the real indicator. It'll never lie to you. When you feel that sensation, you'll know exactly what I mean. You'll still pretty young though, the mind tends to confuse you at this age and you might not know what you're feeling."

"Hinata-san, I think I understand it now… Thank you."

"I'm glad that I could be of help to you, dear!"

Akua considered herself fortunate to have Hinata stumble upon her that morning. Her mind was now enriched with a banquet of knowledge within a matter of ten minutes, dwarfing what she could find searching in the library for hours. Akua now knew what all the three dōjutsu were as well as interesting facts that surrounded them. Moreover, learning about Hagoromo was a plus. In the book that she found, there seemed to be a connection with him and certain swords that were crafted during his lifetime. This notion within the text was confirmed by Hinata, as it was stated he did create weapons. Akua recognized the importance of this due to the mentioning of Dojigiri, the weapon of the younger Hideyoshi. If his sword was a legendary blade, and it was mentioned in the book, then the source became a bit more credible. The information that shocked her was the mentioning of the paper fan and a certain sword that was a stand out within the blade set. Akua decided to take another careful reread when Hinata departed.

Within the text resided a short tale about Hagoromo's travels. It spoke of the Sage encountering two swordsmiths at a river by the names of Sengo Muramasa and Gorō Masamune. Muramasa became famous for the lethal cutting ability of his swords and therefore was consumed by the magnitude of their power. They gained a reputation of being swords bathed in darkness. Masamune was considered the better of the two by sword makers and wielders across the land. Muramasa was puzzled as to why his swords were not held to the prestige of his senior and loathed his popularity. Thus, he publicly challenged the older Masamune to a competition. The one who could create the better sword would be declared the winner. News of the competition stretched far and wide, drawing spectators from all corners of the world to view the results after months of preparation. Hagoromo was one of these spectators, watching as the two men stood by the river with their freshly crafted blades. Masamune placed his within the waters first, letting it drift along the surface within the current. The katana passed by blades of grass and leaves of various sizes, splitting each of them in two had any gotten near the cutting edge. Yet when it came to the fish that swam by, they simply bounced off the edge and redirected the movement of the sword. Murmurs in the crowd grew in disappointment with the katana's inability to pass through the fish. Muramasa placed his sword against the gentle current in high hopes of its ability. Not only did the katana dice the grass and other floating plant life, any fish that grazed the cutting edge was split into clean halves. Even the largest trout was no match. The audience went ballistic with cheer, seeming to have declared Muramasa the winner, but Hagoromo thought otherwise. The millions present recognized the man with the white robe, protruding horns on his forehead, and rippled violet eyes as the Sage of Six Paths while he approached the river, now black with the blood of fish Muramasa's sword skewered. It is said that Hagoromo declared Masamune's katana the winner, much to Muramasa's chagrin and against the popular opinion. Nevertheless, the Sage was able to sway the opinion of the masses stating that Masamune's katana was superior, as it did not cause any unnecessary harm. It possessed a benevolence never before seen in a weapon. Muramasa's sword failed to make that distinction; its only purpose being to destroy all that was in its path. It was a cursed blade, according to Hagoromo, and more people began to sense it's malice.

Bitter that Masamune's wealth and prominence exponentially increased due to the Sage's blessings, Muramasa set out with a malignant agenda. He developed his own clientele of buyers consisting of assassins, robbers, warlords and various other dishonorables. A network of endless death and destruction was created, with Muramasa at the helm over the next decade. The man's notoriety was now embedded into his being as his followers actively searched for and slayed users of Masamune weapons. None butchered more than Muramasa himself, however. He used the same blade he worked tirelessly to craft to taste the blood of millions, and he carried around the weight of their deaths upon the sword. The two swordsmiths, famous for opposite reasons, had a second encounter. It concluded with Masamune falling victim to the vicious blade. After this triumph, sights were now set towards Hagoromo, the man he felt responsible for his falling out. However as Muramasa arrived to confront the Sage, legends say he was slain and consumed by the sword itself, having been haunted by the souls of its victims. With Muramasa now apart of the pantheon of dead spirits Hagoromo attempted to wield the blade and rid it of its demonic aura. Unfortunately he was unable to quench its thirst for blood. Once the blade was drawn, it was unable to be sheathed unless it tasted that which it considered a delicacy. Alas, Hagoromo decided to seal the blade once and for all. With the blood of his left palm, Hagoromo washed the blade and used a paper fan to dry the substance, forever encasing the cutting edge. When sheathed, the blade was never drawn again as it was hidden away in the north.

Akua stared at those words. The north and the paper fan. The although the kanji was different for the word paper fan, it still pronounced Uchiha within her language. The girl's eyes widened. Akua recalled the instance within Takaku Mountain where her blood spilled upon the alter. " _Could that sword be…_ " she shook her head. Akua didn't want to pollute her mind with such thoughts after having been serenaded by Hinata's sermon of love. It was because of her that she was able to gain clarification, give substance to a word that otherwise had little meaning to her. Akua debated whether or not she should be rid of the sword she obtained in the mountains, she didn't want to confirm the lingering suspicion. However it was still a gift from a close friend. " _Mirai would be devastated if I got rid of it…_ " Akua thought. The conflicted girl sighed and elected to keep it for display. She felt it better to be safe than sorry.

With that issue settled for the time being, there was something more significant to her that Akua wanted to confirm as soon as possible. Her phone rang as she was leaving the library, forcing the lady at the front desk to scowl at her. Akua ignored her ridicule, stepped outside and checked her buzzing phone. "Hm, speak of the devil," she smiled, relieved at the owner of the caller ID.

* * *

Approximately 5000 km to the northeast were other developments occurring around the same time that morning. It was Jurou Hideyoshi sitting quietly behind his polished jade desk, tapping his ring-jeweled fingers against a short stack of documents. Standing before him was the shinobi cloaked by a black mask. Several months now found this person to be the link between Hideyoshi and the Genesis when Konoha was involved. "Did you confirm that they were there, Hensō?"

" **Indeed. Both primary targets are within the Konohagakure vicinity. The secondary target is also present.** "

"And our strike team has already been deployed?"

" **They should arrive by sundown if I'm correct. Punctuality is something we tend to ingrain within their minds at a young age. It should be a quick and smooth operation on our part. The team is being led by a fellow named Kenji.** "

"You do realize that if they fuck this up, they will be slaughtered. Just remember that."

" **Failing the mission is not an option here. If so, then death shall be their fate. Konoha won't let such a commotion pass. The strike team is aware of their five minute window.** "

"Heh, you people are as ruthless as ever. I hope you know this is a ballsy step I'm taking. If I don't receive support, consider yourselves ruined."

" **I assure you, Hideyoshi, it is very well the other way around. Kusagakure is secured by our forces and here you are within a new protective stronghold. I suggest you watch your tongue and continue to contribute funds to Genesis, or your head will be served on a platter. It may not even be by us either.** "

"That's mighty talk… bloody Genesis cunts. Have your way. Just make sure I'm not on the other end of the Seventh's wrath."

Hensō's smirk was hidden by his onyx guise.

"And what will you be doing during all of this?"

" **I will make my way over eventually to check on their progress.** "

"Shouldn't you have already left if you were going to do that? Konoha is about a day's length away."

" **Worry not, Hideyoshi. I have my methods,** " Hensō claimed before turning to exit the room.

* * *

After two years of acclimating to Konoha, Sanja Matsuri was still one of the keynote holidays that Akua couldn't remember, despite it being at the back of her mind when Boruto called. Their conversation was short, but she agreed to spend the holiday weekend with him and his team, even though Sarada would be present. In fact, Akua was surprised that Sarada agreed to hang out with them if she knew that Akua would be present. The circumstances were bearable however, as long as Boruto was there to balance out the stress.

Akua left the library in haste, rushing to her home in Meguro to change out of her sweaty clothing. As expected, her mother wasn't home, but that didn't bother her. She tossed her clothing aside and stepped into the shower. Within 15 minutes, she found herself searching through her miniscule wardrobe. The idea was to step out of her comfort zone and wear something a bit more feminine. "Oh, I know!"

There was lavender yukata with floral cherry blossom designs embedded into the cotton. Akua didn't have an obi to wear, so she decided to don the dress with a regular wrap around the waist. The long style of the yukata didn't sit well with her, however. Therefore, modification of the garment took place. Akua utilized a pair of scissors to slice through the cotton fabric, trimming the ends of the robe from her ankles to her knees. No mistakes were made in the process and the yukata looked as if it was still store bought. "Should I put my hair up… it might be hot today… nah I'll keep it down."

Thus, with her outfit prepared, she slipped into a pair of flat zori sandals and proceeded towards the rendezvous point.

When Akua arrived it was already a few minutes past 4 pm. The roaring sounds of Matsuri were broiling, ready to erupt into frenetic celebration over the course of the next three days. Team 7 was visible as she approached, sitting towards the center of the structure. Boruto was the only one standing, however. He was the first to catch glimpse of Akua and waved with vivid joy, genuinely acknowledging her presence. Sarada of course faced away from her direction and sat with her arms folded. The third member of the team, Mitsuki, was unbeknownst to Akua. With light blue hair and golden eyes, the boy possessed a warm and welcoming expression.

"Ku-chan! We've been waiting for you! I want you to meet my team—oh, well you already know Sarada, but Mitsuki here is new!"

Akua was now upon them as Mitsuki rose from his seat and held out his hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Akua-san! I've heard plenty of wonderful things from Boruto here."

Akua shook his hand. "Oh my, have you?" she giggled, "It's nice to meet you as well, Mitsuki."

Her attention turned towards Boruto and his contagious smile. She was able to see the redness of his cheeks and sense activity of chakra. It was about as excited if not more excited than what he was expressing himself to be. Hinata's words were running through her head at this point, stalling her from a greeting. _Go on… just act like you normally would, Akua!_

An anxiety that was otherwise foreign to her was now setting. Boruto on the other hand was going through worse. It was the first time he'd been with Akua around his friends and was afraid of confirming their suspicions; having them see the way he acted around her. Akua broke the ice between them and made her move.

"What are you just standing there for?" she managed to utter beyond her own believe, "aren't you gonna properly greet me?"

She opened her arms and approached him. Boruto snapped out of his smile and into a spell of shock. He could do nothing but accept her embrace in front of his friend Mitsuki, who he could see chuckling off to the side. Just as fast as she wrapped her arms around him, Akua released him. The feeling of his heartbeat against her chest satisfied her.

"I'm sorry, embarrassing you in front of your friends," she giggled.

"Pfft! I'm not embarrassed," he denied with his cherry red complexion.

"I'd beg to differ, Boruto, haha," Mitsuki laughed.

Sarada huffed, "Can we quit mingling and get going? I'd like to enjoy Sanja Matsuri."

"Yes of course, come on everyone," Mitsuki insisted.

The streets of Rasen were now filled to the brim with the citizens of Konoha by this point in the evening, with men, women, teens and children all in attendance. Food stands and festival games were constructed and placed along the sides of the road for people to enjoy. Alcoholic beverages earned themselves an appearance due to the wild shenanigans of drunken individuals. Every once in awhile a group of geisha could be witnessed roaming the streets in their intricately designed silk kimonos, pale white make-up, and unique yet identical black hair styles. The celebrations wouldn't be complete without song and dance, however. Shakuhachi flutes whistled, koto and shamisen were strummed and taiko drums hammered away into the night. Stages were set up for these performers, each accompanied by a group of uniformed dancers. The music was in a constant battle with the natural raucous of the festivities while everyone enjoyed themselves underneath the starless sky.

Akua couldn't help but notice the phenomena, gazing wide eyed into what seemed like an empty void. "It's unappealing, isn't it?" Mitsuki suddenly mentioned to her.

"Hm, yea…" Akua agreed, "it's kind of disappointing, to look at the sky during the New Moon that is. I can understand why you'd feel that way, considering your name is connected to it. You must want to see that big, bright sphere up there."

"Ah, so you figured out the etymology of my name, that's impressive," Mitsuki praised, "you're right about me wanting to see the moon. I'm sure the meaning of your name speaks volumes about you as well. After all, you wouldn't be here if no—"

"Sh! Damnit… you're too smart for your own good," she stated, turning her head away to hide her blush.

"Haha, not at all, but it is quite obvious to detect from you!" Mitsuki turned his attention towards Boruto and Sarada who up ahead, becoming hidden by the crowd. "We should catch up, wouldn't want to fall behind, Akua," he said while increasing his stride.

"Y-Yea," Akua replied, jogging to reach the three.

The enjoyment of Akua's night gradually increased the more Boruto peeled out of his shell. He began to worry less about the people around him, acting as he would with Akua had they been alone. He smiled more often, spoke without stutter and even walked by her side for a majority of the night as they sampled various treats and participated in mini games. Mitsuki gained satisfaction out of seeing the glee expressed in friend Boruto's eyes. Sarada on the other hand didn't seem to interact with them much at all. Instead, she was more focused on the party goers around them, more specifically, a pair that was nearby. Although she knew it probably wouldn't make a difference, Akua decided to speak to her, approaching from behind. "Hey, Sarada, are you alright? You don't seem to be having any fun at all."

"What's it to you, huh?" Sarada snapped back, refusing to turn and face the girl.

"I was just being considerate."

Akua switched her attention to the direction Sarada's was focused. Among the hundreds passing by, there was one still frame that stood out. It was a little girl, about a few years younger than they were, attending the fair with her father by her side. "I know what it's like, you know. Not having your father around… it sucks… and I think we're similar in that light. That's why I want to be your friend."

Sarada folded her arms, "You don't know a thing about me."

"I know a lot more than you think."

"Oh, is that so?" Sarada finally turned around, "You know that I've seen my father once within the past 11 years?"

"I—"

"Since you're so _knowledgeable_ and _great_ , why don't you tell us your secret? In fact, tell us all your secrets."

"What are you talking about..?!"

The audio of the conversation between the two Uchiha had grown outside of their personal space, now attracting the attention of citizens nearby. Boruto and Mitsuki, who were busy at a fish-scooping mini-game turned to see what the commotion was about.

"I'm talking about why you're here in our city. Ever since you came here, turmoil has been brewing all around," Sarada continued.

Boruto attempted to interrupt, "Sarada, what the hell?! Calm do—"

Sarada acknowledged but ignored him at the same time, "So many problems have arisen that all revolve around Kusagakure that it's almost contagious, all because you wanna take refuge here as a wanted criminal. Now the Seventh has to deal with it. You give him more to worry about, so much that he probably can't even go home to his family…" she relentlessly continued.

"Sarada, quit it, that's enough," Boruto demanded.

Sarada was the only one who didn't realize the silencing of the festival around them. Hundreds of people ceased their activity to witness the commotion. Even the musicians and dancers near by came to a halt. All that could be heard were the voices of the small, four person group.

"You've brainwashed the Seventh somehow into your favor, and now you've even two-faced his son into associating with you."

"Shut up! You don't know what you're saying! I'm not a criminal…Kusagakure was up to no good, any issues with them were bound to happen whether or not I was here or not! And no, I haven't done a thing to the Seventh or Boruto other than be myself."

"So a leech? You're a parasite here to do whatever you want without repercussions. I guess that's why Kusagakure's leader was KIA at the Blood Prison! Hey, weren't you involved in that too?"

"You have a problem with me, I understand, but there's no need to make such a scene! I was just trying to—"

"Ah, I'm making a scene. Are you embarrassed? Humiliated that all these people are watching?"

Sarada gestured towards them. She swiped a tall glass from the top of a tray being carried by a young man nearby. "Maybe someone should've told you not to make a scene when you broke my wrist"—fruit punch within the glass found a new home against Akua's face, chest, and stained itself into her yukata—"and humiliated me in front of the entire class."

Several simultaneous gasps were heard. Akua stumbled back as the beverage dripped from her chin and ran down her chest. Her eyes were forcibly shut when the liquid splashed her face. Akua cleared her eyes and examined her now partially drenched clothing. "UGH..! Fine! Be a fucking bitch… I'm leaving, have a good night everyone," she wished as she shoved past Sarada and disappear within the crowd.

"What's your problem Sarada? Geez," Boruto said before running off after her. Mitsuki sighed into a facepalm and decided to go home. The night was over for him.

Sarada now stood alone within the crowd. People began to murmur, speaking about the events they'd just witnessed, and all she could make out was their ridicule of her actions. They saw it as the opposite of what Sanja Matsuri existed to accomplish. Instead of bringing people together, they were now being pushed away. Luckily, that was as unfortunate as the night would get for her.

* * *

Karin Uzumaki entered Konoha through the western gate and strolled through the suburban, residential district of Ōta, returning from Orochimaru's hideout. She decided to leave after beginning the process of synthesizing experimental medicines for her daughter because it would take several days to complete. She had intentions of spending those days with Akua.

There was little activity going on in the neighborhood she passed through which she thought was odd. The lights that she would usually see within the windows of buildings and houses were out, as if everyone had already went to bed, but it was too early in the night for that. Karin travelled through the district enough times in the past to make that observation. Furthermore, not only were the lights out, there were no chakras within the vicinity. Everything was concentrated within Rasen and the districts that bordered it. _Oh yea, I forgot about that Sanja Matsuri thing… I wonder if Akua is out celebrating._

That train of thought was involuntarily fading from her mind regardless of the effort she put into keeping it from doing so. All she could see was a flaming blur within the distance.

 _What the fuck… is going on..?_

Karin held onto the side of her head. She focused in on her own chakra. _Genjutsu..?!_

The pain of sharp steel struck her shoulder, snapping her from the illusionary daze before she got the chance to dispel the technique herself. Drops of her blood splattered against the ground as she drew her attention towards the wound, pulling the kunai from her skin. "I know you're there, you piece of shit! Show yourself!"

" **Now, now, that isn't very nice of you to say,** " voiced an approaching individual, shrouded in the darkness of the night. The features of his face weren't visible to Karin either, as it was obscured by a skull-like mask.

"Who the hell are yo—"

When Karin tossed the blood stained kunai to the ground, her knees dropped with it. Her body underwent a state of shock, drained of nearly every ounce of her chakra. The woman wheezed from the painful exhaustion. "What did you do to me..?!"

She demanded an answer. However in return, the individual simply lowered his hood and removed his mask.

"I'm setting the scene for this play of mine…"

Absolute horror forced Karin's eyes open at the sight of the boy's face.

"…Mother."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Seventh Hokage resided within his office filing through countless stacks of documents. He was interrupted though by the independent activation of all monitors within the room. "What the…" The black and white static interference shifted to a solid picture on each screen. "Jurou…" Naruto recognized. The grasp around his ink-stamp tightened. "What is the meaning of this..?"

"Greetings, Seventh Hokage. I hope you're having a wonderful evening," he lied, his voice echoing across the several monitors. "I simply wanted to thank you. Because of you, I've realized that… I've gained a new threshold of patience, one that I've never before possessed."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"Patience, my good friend. Patience with others. In this case, it is my patience with you." The descending composure of the Feudal Lord was starting to reveal itself. "It is because of this patience… that my first born son is now six feet in the ground, Seventh Hokage."

"If you're going to blame this on me, you have another thing coming, Hideyoshi. It was your son's decision to—"

"Relax, Seventh. I'm not here to blame you. The only person here to blame is myself. I blame myself being being patient with you for so long. Therefore, I've decided to take action."

"Hideyoshi…" the Hokage called.

" …But first you must also feel the pain of losing a first born son."

"JUROU!" he roared, as the Feudal Lord turned to walk away from the camera and gestured his hand.

 _BOOOOOOOM..!_

It was a distant rumble that stole the Hokage's voice, a rumble that shook the city foundation and heard across district lines. When Naruto turned to peer out the windows of his office, the source of the vicious sound was visible to the southwest. " _That direction…_ " he guessed as a massive, orange mushroom cloud bloomed from within the city, providing an extra layer of much needed illumination within the moonless night. "It has to be in Meguro… Akua…BORUTO..!"

Naruto thrusted his fist towards the window but was rejected by its surface. Jurou had anticipated his reaction, and seals were somehow erected about the office to keep the Seventh concealed for the time being. The Seventh grunted, turning to the telephone on his desk. "Attention! This is the Seventh confirming a code red situation! There's been an attack within the city! Round up all able bodied shinobi and secure the safe of civilians! Send a group to investigate Kijiro lane on the outskirts of Meguro at once, I repeat, Kijiro lane! Find those responsible!" Naruto finished, slamming the earpiece of the telephone back into the bulk of the device. He continue to hammer at the seals confining him into the space while the situation descended into chaos.

Karin on the other hand, was the closest to the site of the eruption, having already evaded her previous attacker. She was well aware of what was going on at that point and only hoped she would be able to arrive in time. Fortune, however, was not on her side.

* * *

Akua didn't let anyone know where she was going, but the obvious choice was to go home. There were little to no other locations that she would wander off to. She was either on a mission, with Boruto, at Boruto's house or at her own house. Seeing as how three of those options were eliminated due to the circumstances of the situation, it made sense for her to see the boy waiting at her front porch. "Why did you follow me here," she asked with a stern voice.

"To bring you back, of course," he answered.

"Get away from my house, I'm not going back…"

"Ku-chan, come on… I know you're better than this. Sarada's just… very difficult to deal with sometimes. I'm sure if you two just sat down and had a conversation you'd be great friends."

"…No, you don't understand… her grudge against me is just a cover up to how she really feels. As long as I'm here, we'll never be friends."

"What are you saying..?"

Akua continued her pace towards her front door, stopping at the top of the porch. "I also haven't been entirely honest with you—"

The motion of the world slowed down in that instant, cutting her off from completion of her sentence. Several abnormal chakras exuding an aura of malicious intent were swarming the area and of them, there was one all too familiar to her. With a glance around her porch, she noticed the presence of tags that had no business being there. They were sizzling tags with jutsu formula upon them. "BORUTO!"

She tackled the boy off the front porch as her home erupted into a sphere of amber flame.

It was the explosion heard all across Konoha. Within moments, emergency sirens were blaring and alert stations had interrupted all television broadcasts to inform the public of the sudden occurrence. Everyone was frozen in the streets until they were overrun by panic. Law enforcement shinobi were already at work, escorting civilians to safety. It was advised that everyone remain calm, but it was surely impossible. The details were vague and no one knew what would happen next. New broadcasts emerged with more information: the Seventh's code red alert and the confirmed location of Kijiro lane. The district of Meguro was now cut off from the rest of the city. No one was allowed in, and not a soul was allowed out unless investigated by shinobi. Reporters were forbidden from getting close to the scene of the incident. All that their camera's could image was the pillar of flame and the glowing corona that bled into the black sky upon the outskirts of the neighborhood. Thousands of people who viewed from home were petrified with fear. Hinata sat at the television with Himawari, attempting to phone a Hokage that wouldn't answer. Hishiro was half-dressed in his shinobi gear, cursing himself and attempting to exit his home when was notified. Mirai was stunned, brushed by fleeing individuals in the street while she stared at a broadcasting monitor. Disorder seemed to have no end.

The crackling of burning wood, collapsing structures and the washing of flames across the area filled Akua's ears. She lifted herself from the person beneath her by straightening her arms, then pushed the scorched wooden beam that weighed on her back. Adrenaline didn't allow her to feel the pain of her burning skin, nor the stinging dirt in her bloody wounds. Akua dragged Boruto from the destructive mess and out into the street when the buildings at either side of her home erupted in chain reaction. Akua lowered herself again as to not be skewered by the blazing shrapnel. She slapped Boruto's cheek repeated, tears welling up in her eyelids. "Boruto! Boruto, wake up! Wake up!" Forgetting that she could detect his heart beat with her sensing abilities, she placed her ear against his chest. _Thump-thump_ … _thump-thump_. His blood was pumping and his ribcage expanded with the faint breaths he took. "He's just unconscious… thank god…" Her expression of relief twisted into anger for the ones responsible. The girl watched as her home and all of their belongings were engulfed in a continuing inferno. The outer frames of the flimsy house were vanishing, falling into the pit at the center. When she pushed herself up, she was tugged back by her arm. It was Boruto's grip.

"Ku-chan… your back is… you're hurt."

Akua looked towards him, "It's nothing, I'm fine." She stood up and faced the fire. The hearth of destruction acted as a beacon of light at the same time, illuminating the front half of Akua's body.

"Ku-chan, your eyes… they're just like Sarada's… how's that possible?!"

Akua hadn't realized it herself, and Boruto's pointing it out made her heart skip a beat. She didn't feel like lying to him anymore. Instead of looking away, she faced him with crimson glow of her eyes. She was starting to see the distrust setting into his eyes "Boruto, I'm sorry… I—"

"I should've know that wouldn't have been enough to kill you," claimed a voice Akua had not heard in nearly two years. She couldn't pinpoint its location, as there were a dozen surrounding chakra's. What she could confirm though, was that she was not hallucinating when she found the piercing edge of a steel, harpoon-like weapon protruding from her abdomen. Her body was already cooling to a chill from the fright and blood loss that splattered the ground.

"KU-CHAN!" Boruto cried, watching the girl stumble forward and collapse onto her knees. The mocking laughter of their assailants infuriated them. Just as Boruto stood to fight, Akua vanished from his sight, replaced by a shinobi shrouded in a black uniform the entire group shared. His leg was extended, having kicked Akua through a fallen wooden beam. The impact forced the harpoon further into her body.

"Agh..!" Akua grunted, spitting up a considerable amount of the iron tasting fluid. "How did you—"

She was struck across the face by a fist. "How did we infiltrate?" one of the Genesis ninja finished her sentence. "That's of no concern to a dead girl."

"Just… leave… Boruto alone…" about four took turns punching, stomping and kicking her around each time she attempted to raise herself. Akua caught a glimpse of the blonde haired boy while she laid on the ground, watching him suffer the same physical abuse. She was blocked, however, by that familiar individual. He grabbed her hair, lifting her head level with his own as he crouched. "K-Kenji… Kenji please… don't hurt him…" Amidst the fiery destruction around her, the revenge sewn into Kenji's eyes remained to be the most frightening.

"Don't hurt him, you say..? Does he mean something to you, Akua? Best friend maybe? I wonder, did any of that run through your head when you killed Yoshimura..?"

"What is he talking about… Ku—" he managed to say before having his head stomped into the ground.

"Oh, didn't tell him you were a stone-cold killer, Akua? Haha! We'll both be killers by the end of the night. I've got special orders to kill you both"—Kenji slammed her head into the floor and the harpoon—"so I'll start with him. The serum won't be reacting to your body either, I've placed a seal. Sit back and watch."

Akua's mouth opened to scream when the weapon was torn from her body, but no sound emerged. She fell into a state of shock. She was within her thoughts now, drifting away from the images her eyes perceived. Kenji's approaching Boruto with the weapon seemed so far out of reach now, like a light at the end of a black tunnel. " _No… no, no, no… stop fading… Akua!_ " she ordered herself. Her final resort was out of question, the being that resided within, unresponsive. " _This is it… he's… Boruto is…_ "

" **Only if you allow it…"** growled the rigid, two-toned voice.

"I won't allow it…" Akua declared. Her vision recollected. Amethyst plane within her psyche was present once more. This time, however, she was standing upon a tiny white platform surrounded by a vast, clear sea. Akua turned around to see a humanoid creature, suspended by golden chains that pierced through its jet-black body. A silver stake of a separate jutsu formula was speared through its chest. Furthermore, it had a feminine build and hair similar to Akua's own appearance. "Are you… the black zetsu..?"

" **In a past life,"** the being cackled, lifting it's head. Sharp, golden eyes and the jagged, smiling mouth replaced facial features the Uchiha girl thought would resemble her own. " **I am you, Akua."**

"That's impossible…"

" **The more you deny me, the less time you have. Boruto will die… and soon, we will perish."**

Akua was speechless.

" **Together… these confines cannot hold us back… release me…"** the being tempted her.

Akua lowered her head. She had no other choice. The stake in her counterpart's chest was removed after a moment of struggle. At that point, the once clear ocean opaqued. Akua's attention shifted to the chains, pulling away the golden link restricting the being's right arm. One chain was all that it required. The entire ocean reverted back to its original, onyx color when a hand ripped through Akua's ribcage.

" **Now give this to me…"** The being's grasp closed on the blood-pumping muscle in the Uchiha girl's chest.

"Ack..! What are you..!" She felt herself being overwhelmed by its influence. Dark, threadlike tendrils crawled up her body, repigmenting her skin and converging on her right eye. Her sclerae were inked, contrasting with the crimson glow of her Sharingan.

" **Black Zetsu is a dead apparition… you can call me…"**

Kenji halted in his tracks, standing over a boy who was trying to worm away. A wave of chakra that seemed to churn the atmosphere, as violently as harsh gales would, pelted against his back. He refused to witness the impossibility behind him.

" **Black Heart** ," Akua voiced. The fires instantly quenched as the street was bathed in darkness.

* * *

Bypassing the sealed perimeter of Meguro, Karin navigated through the empty alleyways to avoid detection. Her pace was stagnant, unable to increase due to her suffering from extreme chakra fatigue. The simple act of walking was putting enormous strain on her body, but the woman refused to lay down. Since having such a dreadful encounter only a few moments prior, saving Akua was only sole objective on her mind. " _Why did it have to be this way..! It's all my fault!_ " she cursed herself. " _If I didn't… only I did things differently… she wouldn't be suffering… Senshi would be_ —"

Karin collapsed to the ground under the sensation of the chakra that radiated from just around the corner. With the glowing lights of the fire erased from the night, Karin raised questions as to where she was located. The street sign for Kijiro lane was in clear view, and although she didn't want to be, the woman was reluctant to travel to it. It was as if the demonic presence she felt was warning her to stay away. The sounds of a raging battle continued regardless. " _Akua is still fighting_..!" Karin turned onto Kijiro lane, confirming only half of that statement. Indeed, Akua or what seemed to be Akua, was involved, but there was no fighting. It was a slaughter.

"Akua…" Karin called. Her voice didn't exist. The brilliance of amber flames, laced with black veins scorched a pair of bodies. They registered as Genesis shinobi to Karin. She watched as another three were horizontally severed along with the building behind them by a liquid jet stream that Akua released from her lips. It was the first time she'd ever witnessed the power of the serum firsthand. Flashbacks to the horrors of the great war surfaced until she noticed Boruto sitting petrified in the crossfire.

"Akua! Control yourself..!" Karin shouted. The girl glanced at her mother as if she was a stranger. At the same time, Akua was riddled by four lunging attackers, their weapons buried into her small body. Her disregard of their presence stifled them, until they could no longer feel such emotion. Instead they hung, suddenly impaled by inky black, spearlike protrusions from Akua's torso. The spikes receded, dropping their lifeless corpses to the ground. Karin attempted release her chakra chains to restrain her, but they refused to manifest. Thus, she started a weak trot towards the bloody scene.

While the remaining two Genesis ninja foolishly engaged Akua in combat, Kenji, who was severely injured, slipped away from the epicenter of the action. He and Karin watched as the young men were dispatched by Akua's deadly lightning that chirped with black and white torrents of electricity.

Boruto was mute during the entire escapade. Several times the boy had the opportunity to run but refrained from doing so. His muscles wouldn't respond to any of his signals. His brain directed its power to viewing the monstrosity before him. Karin could sense his heart was ready to jump out of his chest when the individual, whom he once thought was an innocent young girl, glared at him. "AKUA!" Karin cried. " _Naruto's son… I can't let her… I…_ " Karin clenched her eyes shut, forcing a tear to escape and drift into the air.

Unable to distinguish friend from foe, Akua lunged at Boruto, thrusting her Raikiri forward. Lightning grinded through an entire body of flesh, splattering blood across the boy's face.

* * *

Akua's clouded vision began to collect itself and her consciousness reverted to normal. How she was able to fend off Black Heart's influence was a mystery to her until the image her pupils transmitted sharpened. Although she wasn't able to fully perceive until now, it was the image that instinctively drew her back from the abyss. It was her right hand, once against bored through someone's chest. That was all that was visible to her for the time being. Her arm was black with blood, the liquid still draining from the wound after the lightning jutsu faltered. Akua felt her cold hand protruding from the other side, with the substance, along with patches of severed tissue dripping from her twitching fingers. " _My… hand… it's… I've pierced another…_ " she realized. The blood of that individual painted the right side of her face and even stained her torched yukata. " _Why… why am I tearing up… I—_ "

Stained, crimson glasses fall through her limited view. Akua's eyelids were sealed open, as if blinking was no longer a concept. She was telling herself not to look up, but her body did otherwise. Instead of viewing her submerged hand, she saw the hanging crimson hair and an even darker fluid spewing from the woman's open mouth. The woman's arms, which were held out as one would to shield more space, fell to her sides. Her lips slowly molded in an attempt to form words. "Ak-ku…a," she stammered.

"No… no… no, no, no, NO!" Akua screamed. She clenched the woman's shirt with her free left hand. "Mom… oh no—"

She was interrupted by her mother's hacking up of the fluid draining into her lungs. Karin's knees buckled under her weight and plummeted to the ground. Akua, who was essentially attached, dropped with her. "Mom get up… we have to get you some help!"

"…No… it's too l-late… f-f… for me… my…le-left lung 'nd…"—she released another violent cough, smothering Akua's left hand—"and…m-my… heart… is… destroyed…" Karin's voice was becoming more faint by the second.

"Mom… don't speak like that!" Akua attempted to remove her right hand, but her mother flinched. "Ah..!" she reacted. She squeezed her fingers together and was able to slid her hand out of her mother's chest. Without it to support her, Karin's upper body tilted. Akua tried to use her hands to stop the incessant bleeding. "Why… why did you do this..!"

"Because… I h-had… no time… to th-think of… anoth-er way…" Karin was wheezing now, "It was… all happen-ing… so fast… I just acted… I c-couldn't let you… kill him… I kne-w… how you felt… and Narut-o… There was… less to… l-lose this way."

"What do you mean! Less to lose! You're telling me you're going to—"

Karin's throat was finally clearing, as there was little blood left to spill from her mouth. "Your lives… they're more… important… than mine… I'm sorry… that… it had to be… this way"

"What are you saying! Stop it! Stop talking!" Akua demanded. She couldn't bare to hear anymore. Just as Karin's blood spilled, the tears from Akua's left eye followed suit.

"All your life… I've done nothing… but fail you…"

"You're wrong!" Akua cried out. Her words were falling on deaf ears. She could feel her mother's life slipping away.

"I'm so… so… sorry..!" Karin's own tears were obscuring her eyesight, dripping into the black puddle underneath them. However, for once in her life, she didn't need her glasses to see clearly. It was unfortunate that the last glimpse she would have would be of her daughter's misery. "This is… all I can do..!"—her tears were deteriorating her composure—"…to protect you… darling..! I've only ever… told you… that I… I loved you once in your… in y-your life.."

Akua held her breath, quivering her lip at the sight of her mother's faint smile.

"But… I always loved you… you and… your brother… and I always will… even in death… I'll never… ever stop…"—her head lowered, resting her forehead upon Akua's—"because… I'll always be… right here…" Karin lifted her left hand and pressed her index finger over Akua's heart. There was a spark that jolted the rest of the woman's body, a dim light that died as quickly as it emerged. "Please… live on… don't blame yourself for… this… you can beat _it_ … you can find _him_ … just… don't give up… for me…"

Akua felt the finger slip from her chest. Karin's head drifted off to her daughter's left. The girl tilted her head once more towards the moonless sky.

"…A… ku… a…..."

 _Thud_!

Akua didn't dare to look towards the ground. She couldn't close her mouth, nor could she close her eyelids. Her heart slammed against the confines within her chest, pushing blood to directly to her optic nerve. Inflammation that would normally cause an individual excruciating pain didn't seem to bother her. The veins in her eyes bled to the surface and her irises tightened along with the rotating tomoe that converged on themselves. The girl, with her continued silence tilted her head back down, gazing towards the boy back against the ground who was supporting himself with his elbows. She clearly recognized him, but he didn't seem to recognize her. The black sclera in her right eye, the matching, veiny markings on that side of her face, and the blood that covered it were all foreign to him. However, neither of those things terrified him more than the appearance within her eyes. They weren't the same three tomoe Sharingan as before. They possessed a sharper, more vicious design.

"B-Boruto…" Akua finally called to him. She reached out with one of her bloody palms.

The boy suddenly snapped to his senses, his heart now pumping fear instead of blood. Without wasting another moment, he shoved himself up and ran as if he was still in danger, vanishing down the street with tears trailing behind him.

Akua dropped the hand back to her side and stared straight ahead to where Boruto once laid. "I see it now… this is… what he was talking about… he was right…" The corners of her lips curled while her body twitched. "How could… hell be any worse… than this..?"

* * *

Wind carried through the area, billowing the cloak of the individual she spoke of. He was crouched atop a roof nearby with Kenji, whom he retrieved, laying at his side. The individual seemed amused by the sight: the lifeless body of a crimson haired woman on the ground and the agony of her daughter next to her. It brought a smirk to his face. "Seems like it worked…" he said to himself.

"What worked?" Kenji said, interrupting his brooding. "We unless we get them, we fail the mi—"

"That's not necessary. Their reinforcements will arrive soon. We can finish this another time," Hensō replied, sinking into his own shadow and dragging Kenji with him.

* * *

Akua sat quietly, still trying to process the the events that transpired. The girl looked down below at last, a macabre sight to behold. Seeing the corpse of her mother lying on its side next to her carved out a piece of her heart.

" **KYAHH!** "

She screamed over and over, gripping the sides of her head. It was a wailing cry that echoed to the farthest ends of Konoha, each one chilling the souls of those who heard it. Akua continued to suffer until unconsciousness put her out of her misery.

 **A/N: It was truly painful writing the end of this chapter. I felt Akua's pain through the entirety of it and it was an onyx night indeed. After having her home destroyed and suffering the tragedy of her mother's death at her own hands, how will she continue? Will Boruto look at her the same way or was Sarada correct? All will be revealed as this new arc continues with the next chapter,** _ **A Secret No More**_ **.**

 **I hope you guys were moved by this chapter and I'm eager to receive your feedback. I'd learn to hear about your reactions to the events as well as answer any questions you may have(if answerable).**

 **Fav/Follow/Review and see you next week.**


	16. A Secret No More

**A/N: I was planning on posting this chapter the other day but I fell asleep before I could. I apologize for that, so here it is. This is the aftermath of the Onyx Night. The consequences shall be revealed.**

 **Also, throughout the course of the next couple days, I'll be posting some sketches on my deviantart so look out for that.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Ch 16**

 **A Secret No More**

Reporting updates of the incident that occurred on Kojiro Lane were released as early as midnight. Due to this, breaking news of the bombing spread like wildfire, even reaching the farthest outskirts of upper Konoha. The most significant details within these reports were as follows: the central disturbance, the motive behind it, and the aftermath. In terms of the disturbance, almost everyone within lower Konoha were fully aware the moment the explosion went off. Its thunderous sound shook the earth around it, causing small tremors elsewhere in the city. Those who were within an eight hundred meter radius felt the worst of the quakes—these people witnessed the explosion tear into the sky, outshining all of the city lights. Individuals outside of this range within lower Konoha were able to see as well without experiencing its force. The rising mushroom cloud that painted the black sky a murky gray was visible from the other end of the city. Of course, those at the edge of upper Konoha that just happened to look either outside their windows, or were in that direction, saw it along with several other chain explosions.

The motive behind the attack was deciphered by the Seventh Hokage himself, as he held a conversation with the specific man that was responsible shortly before the explosion occurred and even witnessed the man call the attack on screen. Analysts also decrypted Jurou Hideyoshi's reasoning based on information from Naruto and relayed this to the public. The analysts claimed that the act was an attempt on the son of the Hokage, in response to the recent death of Hideyoshi's own son. This made Jurou Hideyoshi to be Konoha's number one public enemy, without a doubt. The means by which they were able to infiltrate Konoha were unfortunately unknown at the moment. This meant the city hierarchy was not able to come up with effective countermeasures as of yet, leading to an increased anxiety among citizens. Furthermore, the rest of Sanja Matsuri was cancelled until next year; Konoha could not risk having another incident within a highly populated festival as the next possible target.

By the end of the night, four homes, including Akua's, were destroyed and three others were damaged by the explosion and its offspring fires. About forty-one million ryō in damage was caused in total and ten civilian casualties were suffered in the process, not including those involved with the massacre found at the crime scene. The fact that Konoha civilians were wrongfully killed during such a horrendous display of vengeance further enraged the public. By morning, city officials were already in meeting rooms, discussing their next course of action in regards to Jurou Hideyoshi. This simply could not be left unpunished. The Feudal Lord of the Grass Country was nothing less than a wanted man.

What citizens knew very little about, on the part of the Hokage for concealing what he considered top-secret, was what actually occurred that night on Kojiro Lane. Even the Seventh himself was almost entirely in the dark. The only individuals aware of what happened were the two enemy targets that were witnessed escaping, Boruto, who was found running from the scene, and Akua, who was found unconscious and drenched in blood at the scene. Rumors, originating from a decrepit old woman who claimed to have witnessed the action, were circulating around the city. Everyone was talking about the violent screams they heard the night before, supposedly screams of sorrow and terror.

* * *

Akua's eyes shot open, but her vision obscured as it was blinded in her right. The ground she thought she was supposed to be laying on didn't feel like ground. It was too soft against her back. Akua lunged to force herself upright in sudden panic and posttraumatic stress, only to be thrown back into the mattress by a chakra-leather strap across her chest after an inch of movement. The girl grunted as she attempted to pull her arms in, finding that they were both handcuffed to the bed railings at either side. "GAHH! GRAH!" Akua screamed as she tugged, jangling the steel chain links against themselves and the rail. The girl stared with her left eye into the ceiling light, puzzled with her current location. When Akua began moving her legs, she immediately felt the cold metal around her ankles—even they were also bound to the railings. The child worked to exhaustion, helplessly trying to free herself of her confinement. The moment she attempted to heave for air, striking pain overwhelmed her body, forcing another agonizing shout escape from her. After hearing the sounds of struggle and piercing cries, a woman rushed into the room.

"Akua, please, calm down!" she pleaded, approaching the bedside.

Akua tilted her head so that her left eye was able to perceive the woman's image. "Sh-Shizune-san?!" the girl huffed, "W-What am I doing here?! What's going on?!"

"Shhh..! Just relax for me, okay?" Shizune gently cupped her palm over the child's forehead and felt her own skin burning up upon contact.

"Shizune-san..! I… I had a terrible dream last night… there was fire and… blood everywhere." Akua writhed in discomfort, "My body hurts… why does it hurt so bad?"

Shizune took a gulp and couldn't help but frown. "You had third degree burns on your back and torso with second degree burns on your arms and legs. Luckily, we got you the medical attention you needed before the wound became too severe. Your torso was also breeched by some sort of sharp object, but you should recover just fine with little to no scarring."

"But… why am I—"

"Because it wasn't a dream, Akua…"

Akua's body stiffened. She started to fight against her restrictions again. "W-Why… am I chained up like this..?"

"You haven't stabilized yet, and you are still considered a threat." Shizune gestured towards Akua's right arm, "Nothing we've tried has been able to get rid of… that."

Akua inched her head around so that she was able to see what Shizune spoke of, and there it was. Beneath the bandages that wrapped to the middle of her bicep were thin, black pigmentations that originated from her shoulder area. It was as if every blood pathway in her circulatory system was modeled by this pattern and imprinted onto the surface of her skin, overlapping each other as they did within her body. Akua even felt a difference in sensation between her right and left eyes. The right had not reverted to its original state, which was why it was most likely covered. "Shizune-san… where's Boruto…" Akua didn't turn her head back to look at her.

"He's in the infirmary; his injuries weren't as severe and he should be checked out by this morning."

"And my mom..?"

Shizune hesitated to respond, "…She's… no longer with us."

"What..?" Akua asked, questioning the response she was given.

"When we arrived… she was too far gone. Karin was pronounced dead at the scene, Akua… I'm sorry."

Akua didn't respond. She was in complete silence after Shizune's words, still fathoming the depth of their meaning. _Dead… at the scene… dead. It wasn't a dream…_ —her heartrate was rapidly increasing, thudding around in her head as she spoke to herself— _It was me… I killed her… I'm murdered… her… I…_

Shizune worried, "Akua—"

The woman was interrupted by Akua's sudden screeching. Shizune had to cover her ears to prevent the intensity of the sound from tearing her eardrums apart. The young girl was in a sobbing fit of hysteria, trying to deny the course of events that occurred but ultimately couldn't. Akua's head tossed around, her lip was bitten, her feet pulled and kicked, her arms attempted to flail. The cuffs that were tightened around her wrists and ankles were now digging into her skin. Several more vehement screams travelled down the hospital hallways through a room that was constructed to be sound proof. Passerbies, even individuals on separate floors, could hear her mixed cries of physical pain and dreadful misery. The bed Akua laid in detached itself from the ground and back as she threw her bound torso into the air. Her movements were becoming uncontrollable, and Shizune panicked, fearing for her own and Akua's safety. Then it all stopped. There was silence. Shizune examined the girl and noticed her burning red complexion. The woman was confused until after about two minutes, Akua's diaphragm was convulsing and her face faded into a deep purple.

"AKUA!" Shizune rushed over to the IV connected to Akua's left arm and withdrew a syringe from her white coat. The cap was removed with haste and she carefully inserted the liquid anesthetic into the hanging packaged liquid. Within a few seconds, Akua's body ceased movement and her neck relaxed, her head dropping to the right. Shizune rubbed sweat from her forehead with the back of her palm, letting out a sigh of relief when she witnessed the young girl's body going through with its regular respiration.

Shizune glanced around the room. Medical supplies such as fresh bandages, gloves, empty syringes and needles were scattered across the ground, released from boxes knocked over by Akua's harsh frenzy. Open bottles of liquid and tablets contributed to the mess on the floor. The tiles now had cracks in places where the feet of the bed slammed. The woman crouched to commence the cleaning of the room but quit as soon as she began, punching the ground in frustration. She threw an empty pill container down and collapsed into a chair next to Akua's bed. Even with the troubled Uchiha child now calm and in a steady slumber, Shizune was still disappointed, not in the girl, but in herself. There were certain thoughts within the kunoichi's mind that ate away at her soul the longer she stared at the beautiful young child, undeserving of the current circumstances.

Dark eyes were hidden behind eyelids that forced themselves shut, and Shizune stood up to exit the room. Upon opening the door, there was a female nurse waiting outside, curious of the recent screams. "Ma'am..?" the young woman asked in her soft, almost inaudible tone.

"Get someone to go clean up that room, it's a mess in there," Shizune ordered. She was the senior medicine practitioner within that specific facility.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" The nurse turned to sprint down the hallway for the custodian's office before she was stopped.

"Wait!" Shizune called to her.

"Is there anything else, ma'am?"

"Yes, make sure the patient is hooked up to oxygen support," Shizune added.

"What happened to her, didn't she stabilize last night?"

"Yes but she just tried to—"

"Asphyxiate herself?" a certain gentlemen said, finishing her sentence.

"Lord Seventh..!" The two women exclaimed when they noticed him. They both honored his presence with a quick bow before Shizune confirmed his suspicion.

"Yes, sir. She's suffering from posttraumatic stress and it's causing detrimental damage to her mental state. I've been able to calm her down, however. Why have you come all the way out here, though?"

The nurse bowed and backed away after greeting the Seventh Hokage to follow through with Shizune's commands. Naruto sighed and scratched his blonde hair. "I'm actually still in the office. I just sent a clone down."

"Ah, I see. Well, I would be lying if I told you that I'm sure she'll be alright. There's no telling what might happen…"

"I guess I'll just have to speak to her when she wakes up. She really needs _him_ now… what about her eye—"

"It was confirmed at the scene. Her eyes were most likely her version of the Mangekyō Sharingan. The left eye has powered down, but… the right eye as well as the effects of the Serum that Karin mentioned are still active. We have her on chakra restrictors, but like I said before, I'd be lying to you if I said that they would be enough."

"Make sure they are. The way she is now, she's still considered a threat even though she's a little girl. There's no need to put anymore blood on her hands."

"What do you mean..?" Shizune inquired.

"You were there for Karin's autopsy, weren't you? That wound in her chest… I've seen it before. It was done by the Raikiri. Akua was the one that killed her, and I think the serum is responsible."

The rationale behind Akua's reactions all made sense. The image of such a scene twisted the contents of Shizune's stomach. She had to step back and cover her mouth for a moment. "That's… horrid."

"She might never get over it either, now that she's aware of it. We'll just have to keep a sharp eye on her for as long as it takes."

"Will she be convicted for this, Seventh?"

Naruto dragged his fingers through his hair. "I've purposefully kept the contents of the scene secret from the press, but there's already been rumors going around. An alibi was created last night for her in order to counteract the testimonies of eyewitnesses. It's wrong, but she doesn't deserve any more trouble than she already has."

Shizune diverted her attention from the Seventh to the Uchiha girl laying in bed, visible through a viewing window. "What about your son?" she asked, "what connection does he have with this?"

"He's just another eyewitness, but he refuses to speak to me about any of it. I don't think he's said a single word to anyone. I'm sure he knows the truth about Akua now, unfortunately, and it doesn't seem like he's taking the news well."

"In light of everything that has happened, Seventh, I think that you should take a break from worrying. You haven't slept all night, have you?"

Naruto shook his head. The bags underneath his eyelids were blatantly obvious.

"Leave that part to us," Shizune assured.

* * *

Akua's mind was a boiling cesspool of memories she hoped would never find their way to the surface again. Not only were the events from several hours ago vivid to her, events years into her past, as far back as she could recall, projected themselves like large cinema screens. It was as if she was reliving her life.

 **FLASHBACK**

With a tarnished tarp, secured about her waist with a thin linen wrap as her clothing, Akua plodded barefoot across cold, wet stone. The heavens wept and showered her with its stinging tears as she and several other children, all chained together in a line by the wrists, were escorted to a tall, dark building in the distance. Her group contained roughly a dozen children that she could count. The rest were either too far behind her or obscured by the pelting rain in front. There was a grown man that lead them through the harsh weather, however he was not receiving the same experience as they. This shinobi had made sure to bring an umbrella with him since he was aware of the forecast and shared it with no one. Akua felt sorry for the children who weren't able to withstand the severity of the rain as it swept over their pale skins; their skeletons were rattling within them due to brisk autumn temperatures.

Regardless of the weather conditions, there was a deep-set discontent brewing in Akua's chest. Among the children that walked with her, Senshi was not with them. He most likely resided in another group. Eventually, the stone path receded as they were now upon their destination, entering the courtyard of the building. Stepping inside with the ringleader, the children were taken through a dark hallway, lit only by the blue-flamed braziers that hung from the wall. There was an individual awaiting their arrival, standing in the center of an empty, circular chamber. Akua tilted her head so that the child in front of her didn't block her view. The man's figure was too far away to process any detail, but Akua was still able to see the black cape he wore, extending down to his ankles. He also possessed black hair that was either combed back or gelled in place. Upon entering the same chamber as him, the features of his face became clearer. He was a tall, young man in his mid-twenties, from what Akua gathered. Every contour of his face was sharp and he had pronounced cheek bones. There was a drop in temperature when she noticed his frosty blue eyes, empty orbs of a stolid nature. Akua turned her head immediately after observing them; she felt as though she would freeze over if he met her line of sight. In doing that, she saw several other halls along the perimeter of the chamber, each with groups of children entering from them. The lines that they were chained in were organized into a circular pattern of rows and columns by their leaders around the man in the center. There were hundreds of children Akua's age all packed into the room at once, waiting restlessly for something to happen. "Greetings, young ones," the depth of the man's voice echoed and shook the tiny souls of those present. "This will be the first time any of you in this program have met me, the grandmaster. My name is Ginzen Ryūketsu."

There was a sharp sound of ruffling of clothing that broke the extended silence as every child bowed. Akua was one of the last few to do so and with her violet eyes, she stood out like a sore thumb. The girl quickly lowered her head before Ginzen's gaze met her. "I'm here to personally thank you all for being apart of Kusagakure's chapter of the Genesis Program. The youngest of you, in reality, have been here much longer than you think. This should be one of the first memories that you recall, but know that you've been here since a year old."

Akua gasped at his words. Perhaps this was the reason why her body had such a prolonged sense of soreness.

"You've been drafted from your families, whether by coercion or by compliance, for the development of Kusagakure's military force. You are the future of this city and country. Represent it well and hold its name in honor, and in prestige as you set foot into a world of pain and strife. I will not lie to you. You will be beaten, broken, and many of you will most likely die. That is the price you must pay to be one of the greats."

There was a handful of children that shuddered at Ginzen's words, for they weren't as ignorant towards their meaning compared to the vast majority. _I won't be one of them…_ Akua thought to herself. Her mind was quite adept for a four year old.

"This building will be where you shall spend most of your time, if not in the wilderness," Ginzen continued, "and your first day of combat training will start tomorrow. You're all dismissed."

Contrary to Akua's innocent beliefs, Ginzen was correct. Her group of children, along with the several others, were split up into separate chambers scattered throughout the six-floor, fifty-thousand square foot complex. Within each chamber, the two dozen children were present, accompanied by a dozen proctors. Half the children commenced their training while the others sat and watched.

Akua was one of the unfortunate ones to have went up first. The young child was towered over by a large male whose height was three or four inches below six foot. These men and women were referred to by the children as 'sensei' and each of them were of the jonin rank. The sensation of this man's presence alone was enough to make Akua's skin crawl. "Hajime!" she heard before she found herself on the ground. Everything was a haze to her now. It was the first memory she recalled of herself being knocked to the ground by the broad fist of her opponent. "Fight!" the same voice echoed several times. Akua pushed herself up from the ground and wiped the blood from her busted bottom lip. Her frail arms were braced in front of her. "Fight like your life depends on it..!" Another fist came flying. Her eyes widened at this attack, allowing her the ability to see and evade it. However, she failed to anticipate the roundhouse kick that originated from the direction she moved in. Akua was again knocked to the floor, but this time she rolled back to her feet immediately. Her body was beginning to develop instinctive movement, yet stars were swirling in her vision again. Another strike connected, and Akua's body rattled back as she began to lose her footing.

"I see… that's odd…" Akua said to herself before the approaching fist flashed her vision to black.

 **END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Emerging from the darkness was a line of light. As it widened, it was obscured by thin eyelashes before the world once again came into view. Akua blinked several times, but only half of the world was visible, perceived only through her left eye still. However, the confinements that bound her were no longer present. Akua's wrists and ankles were free of handcuffs and the strap around her torso was removed. Despite her newfound freedom and her previous outburst, the young girl remained still upon the hospital bed; her body was numbed from prolonged lack of movement. "You're finally awake," pointed out a male voice.

Akua sat upright with slightly hunched shoulders and a hanging head. "What day is it..?" she asked, her voice slightly muffled by her oxygen mask.

"June the first."

"W-What..? That's…" Akua turned her head in order to view the man. It was a shadow clone of the Seventh Hokage.

"You've been asleep for a little bit over a week now, ya know. Shizune must've overdid it on the anesthetic," Naruto suggested. "How're you feeling?"

"Like shit."

"Oh well… I could've guessed that," Naruto said, muttering the last part of his sentence under his breath. It was a stupid question for him to ask, considering her circumstances.

Akua's composure was deteriorating again, and her neck was sinking below her shoulders with harsh sobs. "…What… am I going to do now..?" her head was held down and tears dripped uncontrollably into her lap.

"What did your mother tell you to do? I'm sure she entrusted something to you."

The distressed girl was trying desperately to restrict the streaming droplets from her eyes, wiping tears with the ends of her palms. "…S-She said… she did… t-this f-for me… and B-Boruto…" her voice cracked, "and that… I should… live on…" as she finished, a series of dry coughs erupted from her throat.

Naruto knelt by her bedside and took ahold of one of her trembling hands. "You shouldn't let her sacrifice be in vein… don't waste your life. Live on like she wanted you to, Akua. You're not alone, there are people who care about you here."

Akua stopped to think for a moment. In examining the room, she saw there was a bouquet of flowers; fragrant violets blessed the dull, white room in beautiful abundance within a pristine vase. "Who sent these..?"

Naruto, glad that she noticed them, handed Akua the card that came with them. "These are from Mirai. She came here the morning after the incident, worried about you, then bought you these flowers. They're wonderful, ya know?"

The young girl's lip quivered as she read the note her friend left behind.

 _How ya doin', Shrimp? I came in to check on you since I heard your house was wrecked. I also heard about your mom. I know it's been a rough time for you ever since you came, and it only seems like it's getting worse, but trust me, it will get better. I promise you! So don't give up on me, will ya? Enjoy the flowers! - Mirai_

Akua held in one of her sobs, using the back of her palm to cover her mouth as she read. Her eyelids shut and pinched back a flood of tears from her ducts. Damp spots expanded into the paper. Regardless of how minimal, it was still a shred of relief. "What about… Boruto..?"

"He left the hospital last week. I went to check up on him, but he doesn't tolerate my clones… he also hasn't said a word to me since that night. He should be at home today if you want to go see him."

"You think they'd let me leave, Lord Seventh?" Akua wiped her cheeks clean of the salty residue.

"As long as you can deactivate that eye of yours…" Naruto handed Akua a mirror which he found sitting on the table. She was at a sudden loss of breath when she held up the mirror and gently moved the eyepatch out of the way.

"W-What is this… what's wrong with my eye..?!" she screamed. She gazed into her reflected appearance, horrified by her dark sclera and the abnormal pattern within her iris.

"Your right eye… it's stuck in it's Mangekyō state, and we're not sure of its capabilities."

"Man-gek-y-yō..?" Akua repeated.

"Yes, it's a more powerful, evolved form of the Sharingan. It's a rare ability, even amongst the Uchiha. Your father's bloodline though is quite blessed with it, or cursed."

"Cursed… w-why do you say that?" the girl worried. Her body trembled from stifling chills.

"Well, the Mangekyō Sharingan is born through an intense emotional breakdown and reaction. The death of your mother most likely triggered its activation. This dojutsu is dangerous, though. It's powers are… unique depending on the user and quite menacing. Over usage will cause blindness as well, which is why you need to deactivate it and prevent it from deteriorating your eyesight."

Akua gulped down and shut her eyes once more. She focused deep within the sanctums of her mind in order to decipher the means to rid herself of such a lingering omen. The Seventh was correct in his information. There was a surge of chakra that Akua could sense within her body, concentrated on that right eye. The struggle of sifting through all of it was visible through her facial expressions as Naruto observed carefully. The man was cautious, bracing his body each time the child flinched or twitched. For Akua, the fountain of chakra she was trying to quench was overwhelming. It was like she felt herself treading in waist-deep, arctic waters with vicious gales bashing against her skin. There was a sudden spark; Akua's chakra fluctuated as she pressed further. Eventually, she came upon that violent source, reaching out to finally close the reservoir.

After a few minutes of silence, the eye patch was removed and resting in Akua's lap, along with both of her hands. The moment the fabric of the sheets touched her skin, the Uchiha's eyelids split to reveal the entirety of the evolved Sharingan. Veins crawled along her sclera, becoming visible as the dark pigments creeped back to its original color. The crimson iris dilated then filled her eye. The sharp black design sifted like liquid, separating and remolding itself into the three tomoe of the standard Sharingan. The tomoe dialed around her emerging pupil until the hue of her Sharingan faded to the saturated violet of her regular irises.

Completing this task forced Akua into fatigue. Her body was not yet use to such a shifting scale in the magnitude of her chakra. Her lungs heaved for the oxygen the mask provided before she ripped it from her face, exhaling an even larger breath. She glanced over to the Seventh, who sat astonished at her ability to control the Mangekyō's power. "It's gone… you won't have to worry about it anymore."

"Ah, well that's a relief..!" Naruto said, trying liven the mood, but it was as dead and somber as an abandoned cemetery.

"Seventh… I was the one… I need to be punish—"

"I'm not punishing you for this, it wasn't your fault."

"But how are you going… what if they find out… I'm responsible…" Akua pointed out. The citizens of Konoha had a right to know what was occurring in their backyard. Little did she know that speculating reports were already tying her to the incident, as she was one of the two survivors.

"Hishiro came up with an idea that would free you of any suspected convictions. He suggested we inform the people you were an Anbu agent. This way the courts aren't liable to apprehend you."

"I still feel… guilty…" Akua pouted. She looked away from the man and stared out the window to the right. "Where am I going to stay now..? My house is…"

"There might not be any room but… you could stay over at my—"

"No. I'm not going to be a burden on you and your family," asserted the Uchiha.

Naruto sighed, "I had a feeling you were going to say that. I sent a message out to Sasuke and I'm waiting for him to contact me."

Akua's fist clenched. "What about Sarada and Sakura..?"

"We're just going to have to wait until he comes before we can finally sort things out."

Another slow exhale dragged breath from Akua's lungs.

"For now," Naruto added, "I arranged for your upkeep in Konoha's orphanage just incase you didn't want to stay with us. Now that you seem alright,"—Naruto placed an envelope on her bedside table—"You can head over there today after you settle any other… yea…"

Akua remained silent. The chirping robins beyond the windows seemed to have captured her attention. The floor she was gave her view of a large cherry blossom. Within it was a nest of three newborn hatchlings and what appeared to be their parent preparing to feed them.

"I'll…leave you be and let the nurses know you're awake," Naruto said, rising from his seat and heading for the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob, turning to take one last look at the girl. She was still focused on the birds. The Hokage wasn't sure whether or not he should've been satisfied that her crying ceased. Doubt lingered; was it because she was in the healing process of grief, or had she stopped because there were no tears left? It was a haunting thought. Nevertheless, he continued his path as there was little he could do anymore.

* * *

The next hour saw Akua checking out of the the hospital with the approval of the Seventh Hokage. She exited the building with new clothing adorned, a shirt and shorts over her bandaged arms and legs. In one hand was the envelope that Naruto provided for her. Within it were directions to the orphanage, copies of legal documents such as her ninja registration which acted as her birth certificate, and a check of inheritance. Karin left about 1.5 million ryō, funds she salvaged from her savings to help facilitate Akua's recovery, and entrusted Naruto to give it to her daughter in a worse case scenario. It was a substantial sum of money, worth the completion of an S-Rank mission, but money was the least of her worries. In Akua's other hand, she carried the bouquet of violets which she removed from the vase. She decided as a way to lessen her pain, she would attempt to make another happy. She walked as fast as her injured legs would allow her, holding the flowers close to her body on her way through the Academy district and towards Rasen.

On the way, Akua stopped by the nearest electronics store. She had to replace her cellphone that was destroyed in the explosion. Her carrier was able to restore the original number with a new device as well as provide a loyalty discount for its services. Akua's first order of business with the new smartphone was to call Boruto. As she walked down the street she dialed, waiting while the phone rang, only to be given his voicemail. She tried again. Voicemail. Boruto's contact was clicked repeatedly at least 10 times, and each time Akua did, she felt the cold tip of a needle sinking itself into her skin. Still, she was convinced that she wanted to see him. There were things that Akua wanted to explain to him, to clear up any misunderstandings.

The fastest way to Rasen was the train. Akua arrived at the station to catch the next departure. Her journey there, however, was littered with poison. There were citizens that had recognized her face. During the time period between the incident in Meguro and now, several newspapers fed the public information they uncovered. Because of this, people started to form their own opinions of what occurred. Even with the Seventh Hokage's statement, there were still a majority of citizens that she came across who possessed negative portrayals. All of their words and conversation could be heard as she passed through the station. "Didn't you hear… it's that _girl_ …"

"What girl"

"The girl from Meguro..?"

"Yes it's her… she was involved in that massacre..!"

"The Hokage's son was there."

"Really?"

"What are you all talking about?"

Even when Akua stepped onto the train, the voices of others continued to haunt her. Passengers around Akua left their seats when she sat down, but they could still be heard.

"You see her?"

"Yea from Meguro, heard 'bout it."

"The Sevenths son could've been killed!"

"There were civilian deaths."

"I heard she went'n killed er'body there…"

"She's a goddamned killer."

"Wasn't her mother one of the individuals killed?"

"Well she musta killed'er too."

When the train pulled up the station in central Rasen, Akua was the first to exit. She ran, despite the pain from the injuries in her legs, leaving behind the condescending tones of criticism. Her face was even more recognizable to individuals of this urban district, as they were always glued to the media and whatever was produced by it. The flowers were hugged to her chest and her head was held down as Akua's pace accelerated into a sprint. Within a few minutes, the Uzumaki household was in view. " **Don't do it… you'll only be disappointed. He doesn't understand you… he doesn't understand us,"** the voice in her head warned. It stopped Akua in her tracks.

"What are you talking about..! There's no us..! HOW COULD THERE EVER BE! YOU..! YOU MADE ME K—" The Uzumaki household seemed to be growing farther away even though she was standing still.

" **Don't be foolish, Akua,"** the voice cackled, " **That woman threw her own life away…"**

"No… I'll never forgive you!" Akua broke the spell of darkness within her mind and cleansed the distortion her eyes deceived her with. The girl ran up the front porch in haste, disregarding the being that tried to tempt her once more. She rung the doorbell.

"Who is it..?" a young boy called.

"Akua, ya idiot! Now open up the door!"

"Go away."

Her heart skipped a beat. The cheerful expression Akua pasted over her face was ripped away. "W-What do you mean… stop messing around, Boruto!"

There was a pause.

"Boruto?!"

"I said go away!" the boy said as he leaned with his back applying pressure to the door.

"Look, I can explain what happened, just give me a chance, please…"

There was no response.

"I even brought you some—" Akua was interrupted by the front door swinging open. There the two adolescents faced each other. Boruto took once glance at the collection of flowers in Akua's hand, and when her arm gestured towards him, he made his move. The violets crashed into the front porch as they were slapped out of the Uchiha girl's grasp. Akua watched as he went as far as stomping the innocent plants underneath his sandals and shoving her away from the door.

"Get away from me! You think that's all it takes for me to forget about everything? Just so you can try to kill me again?!"

Akua whimpered, "I didn't mean to—"

"You aren't who I thought you were. You're a liar… and even worse, you're a monster!"

"I—"

"Go to hell!" Boruto cursed before slamming the door shut in her face.

Akua remained on the porch for a moment, still processing the events that had just transpired. Her face was frozen with a blank expression of continuous horror. Her fingers twitched and her bottom lip quivered. Her eyelids didn't close to welcome the tears pooling within them, they simply streamed down, the only thing animate about her petrified state. She could hear the noise from within the house. It was Hinata asking who was at the door, Boruto stating who it was, and then the both of them arguing about how the situation was handled. Hinata ran to the front door and opened it, but there wasn't a soul present. All the woman could see were the crushed flowers as well as dark patches in the stone next to them.

By the time Hinata came the the door Akua was long gone, sprinting to the far end of the district. The girl gasped and hounded for air in between her erratic sobbing. "Ah!" the girl yelped, tripping over her feet and collapsing in the middle of an alley way. Akua clenched her chest through the shirt she wore, squeezing her fingers into the skin where the heart was located. The helpless girl curled up as pain, more vicious than being speared by the steel harpoon, slowly dug its way through the blood-pumping muscle, bit by bit. It was a debilitating agony unlike anything she'd ever experienced, far eclipsing the emotion of her mother's death. The reason for this was a mystery to her. It was like she was feeling her mother's pain, the sensation of having your heart vaporized by chirping lightning. Akua couldn't manage to wrap her mind around that or anything of the matter while she flailed around on the ground trying rid herself of the such a grotesque sensation. "It hurts..! IT HURTS! AHHHH!" the power of her scream shredded the inner tissue of her throat. "MAKE IT STOP!" she cried out to anyone who might be of any assistance. With screeches and grunts, Akua threw herself into trash cans and collided into falls, appearing as though she was trying to yank her own heart out of her chest before she crashed into the ground again. Bystanders that passed the alley went on with their day's as usual, dismissing the young girl as dangerous and deranged lunatic. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" her voiced echoed.

* * *

It was just another chore on the Seventh Hokage's plate to worry about. The man rubbed his temples as he sat at his desk, trying to sift through all the stress that was piling down onto him. In this case, it was Akua's having gone missing that was causing him strife the day after she was released from the hospital. Naruto had Anbu and a select few regular shinobi on hot pursuit of her whereabouts, but no one could locate the girl. Notifications were sent out in desperation as the search grew cold, and as the day dragged on there was little to no one who wasn't aware that she was missing. People such as Mirai, and Hinata were genuinely stricken with worry for the worst once more. Both of them had spent the day searching for the girl until it was too dark for any effective work. That was of course until a live news broadcast at 10 pm appeared on television.

Sarada was flipping through channels that night. Even though Akua was the last person she considered a friend, she was still human. In fact, ever since the incident on Sanja Matsuri's friday night, Sarada felt guilty about what she said to the girl. She wanted now more than ever to apologize for everything she said, and so, assisted her mother as well as others in the city as part of the task force to find Akua. There was a certain channel that caught her interest, however. It was the live broadcast, and its content lightened the fret any individual felt about the situation. The camera's film pictured a location that appeared to be within the wilderness surrounding the city. Furthermore lights beamed upon a young, black haired girl fitting the appearing of the 12 year old that was missing, sitting by a campfire near a small creek. "Mama!" Sarada called, "I think they found her!"

"R-Really?" Sakura answered from upstairs, running down into the living room where her daughter was located.

"Yea! It has to be!" Within the next few seconds of the broadcast however, those feelings of guilt and regret were shaken.

* * *

Akua rose from her seat as the lights, cameras, shinobi and search hounds approached her. The girl squinted from the white rays beaming into her eyes. Not only did they emerge from the shadows behind her, but they appeared from all around. She was surrounded by shinobi and Anbu as if still considered some sort of threat. "W-What is this..?" Akua said, demanding an answer. She braced herself due to the amount of shinobi she could detect, causing them to caution themselves in return.

"This is a search party," the captain of the group said, "we're here to identify you." The woman held up a flier to Akua. It was a bloated image of her ninja registration picture. "State your name. Who are you..?"

 _Who am I?_ Akua asked herself. _That's a good question._

The group was puzzled as to why it was taking the girl so long to answer, but that was because she was deep within her thoughts. Memories of her mother were resurfacing. It was the first time Akua showed her mother her ocular gift. " _Don't you ever activate that again!"_ her mother said. " _We're already outsiders here, there's no need to stand out even more."_ Akua watched the memory play out in her mind. She saw her young, five year old body being scolded by her mother. " _If anyone here discovers of this, you'll cause us all trouble. They will shun and disdain you, or worse they kill you, they kill Senshi, and they kill me. Always remember, we don't belong here. We don't belong anywhere."_

"It doesn't matter anymore, mom."

"What did you say?" the female captain pressed.

The girl's eyes were closed while she visualized the end of the memory. "Yes," she turned towards the captain and the camera, "I'm Akua…"

Those in front of the girl were shocked when her eyelids parted. The camera captured the entirety of the event. The lights that shone upon the girl paled in comparison to the light her eyes produced. The violet hue vanished, melting away into a deep crimson that pierced through the darkness of the night. Making sure she was facing the camera, the girl took it a step further. The three tomoe of her Sharingan rotated within each iris until the pupil shifted into a thin black ring. The tomoe molded with it, curling in the opposite direction and sharpening her design into the Mangekyō, freely activating her cursed eyes. "…Akua Uchiha."

It was a confession that was able to, for the first time on any occasion, leave the city of Konoha completely silent.

 **A/N: Having lost family and now, someone she considered more than a simple friend, has Akua finally cracked? Her journey has taken a turn for the worst, and her methods of dealing with it have become more than arbitrary. Stay tuned for the next installment with chapter 17:** _ **The Anbu Black Ops.**_

 **I hope you all enjoyed the chapter because there's much more to come. The story will only get more interesting. I'm looking forward to see your feedback!**

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	17. The Anbu Black Ops

**A/N: Glad to be updating with a new chapter. I don't have much to say for this authors note other than thank you for the continued support I see with favorites and follows. I look forward to seeing some new feedback through reviews as well.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Ch 17**

 **The Anbu Black Ops**

 **FLASHBACK**

The rigid pops of bone dislodging itself from joints clenched the tiny hearts of the children in the room that heard it. They shuddered upon the sight of a boy's hanging jaw, some even looking away before he hit the floor. It was knocked out of place by the heavy heel of a spinning wheel-kick, swiping across his chin. The wispy, snow-white hair of the girl who landed this devastating blow fell about her shoulders as she came out of her spin. Her icy platinum eyes basked in pleasure, watching the boy writhe in pain against the concrete floor. It was a brutal surface to crash land onto; blood from scraped skin trailed the boy as he skid across it. This female, however, was not satisfied. The poor boy was still moving; still breathing. She rushed over, turned the boy on his back, mounted and tugged him up by the collar of his shirt before her fist found a new home in the side of his face. The first strike laced crimson across her knuckles, and it wasn't her own. Relentless, she struck him again… and again, and again, and again, and again. Each time, his neck sprung and rebounded his head into the next punch. The girl beat his face in until his cheek bone was in fragments and the right side of his face was a paint-splattered canvas. With a smile on her face, she was now content with the results, leaving her opponent practically on the brink of death once finished. "Well done, Tanoshimi," the proctor commended. Tanoshimi rose and bowed to the panel of jonin spectators that sat across from the young Genesis students. She then took another bow around the room. The harmed boy was not the only opponent. There were two other students lying within the arena that she dispatched. After Tanoshimi left to take her seat, the boy was dragged off, as to not get in the way of the next four-way match. It was every child for themselves. Their faces were straight, appearing to be apathetic, but in reality each of them quivered in fear for their names to be called, especially the raven-haired girl with violet eyes that stood out at the end.

"…Akua," her own name attained to her ears, being called last. The sighs of relief were kept within the minds of the other students, making sure not to garner any reprimanding. Akua on the other hand, hung her head, hesitant to even move. "Akua. Get up," the proctor called. She stood and stepped into the space of the arena.

Akua's eyes captured the images of the three other students standing in the corners of the arena. When the proctor held his hand up, the four children bowed with their palms pressed against their thighs. Their straightened fingers were then clenched into fists as they became upright again, holding them down and out. Akua couldn't read the emotions of the others, but felt like she was an open book herself. The fight had yet to start and she was already sweating bullets. Her heart was racing and hot blood rushed through her veins. With a chop of the air, the proctor's hand came down. "Hajime!" he yelled, and the ruthless kumite began.

The four students converged towards the center in that instant. The other female, who was across from Akua was the first to arrive, pouncing in the air for a 360-roundhouse that knocked one of the males back into his corner. The other boy had his punch evaded and his stomach kneed-in before he was thrown into the girl's old corner. Akua stopped her charge for a moment to analyze her opponent. The girl across from her was known for the exceptional taijutsu abilities she possessed. However, she was still a frail one. The boy she had kicked before came charging in and mowed her down with the length of his arm while she was paying attention to the Uchiha. The sight reminded Akua that in a situation such as this one, attention was crucial and being able to keep an eye on all of your opponents gave you the upper hand.

Now more than ever, that ideology came to fruition when Akua leaned out of the way of the other boy's right hook. He continued his assault, throwing palms, punches and kicks, each strike pressing Akua back in defense. The arena was flat against the ground, delineated by black borders in a ten-by-ten meter square. Being pushed over this line meant disqualification and severe punishment for not abiding by the rules. Crossing the line represented weakness and a lack of attention, two things that were absolutely not tolerated in the Genesis program. Focus was key. Akua knew she was on the verge of being knocked out when the boy's next punch came.

The next series of movement all happened in rapid sequence with each other. Akua stepped to the right, away from the boy's hook, pushing his fist out of the way to allow her momentum. Then she ducked; a roundhouse sailed over her head. When the boy planted his foot down, he spun around his other, leading with heel-first, directly towards Akua's face. Attentive as she was, Akua predicted he would rebound in such a matter, she backflipped out of the way and into the center of the arena. The girl landed with grace, not a single sound emitted from the balls of her feet. The boy was now charging but there was a chill that ran down Akua's spine. She sunk down again, watching the other larger boy fly over her body. Her violet eyes darted to the side. Someone was missing from this picture of the two boys in front of her. With that thought resonating, Akua lept into the air, displaying her acrobatics by performing a backwards somersault over the other female who attempted to strike from behind. When she landed and observed her surroundings, she was a few meters from the edge again. At this point in the chaotic battle, Akua had yet to be bloodied or receive any damage. On the other hand, the others had at least some sort of mark on their face to prove they'd been in a battle today. All three examined Akua's spotless body, then looked at each other. "So," the female spoke up, wiping blood from her split bottom lip, "too pretty to get a couple bruises on that fair skin of yours?"

Akua furrowed her eyebrows and lowered her body, ready to take a fighting stance.

"I'll rip you to pieces!" the girl shouted in the middle of her assault. She was already upon the Uchiha, wailing her with punches, jabs and kicks that threw their bodies around the arena as Akua attempted to defend herself. She felt her wrists becoming sore, her knees and shins aching and her arms throbbing in pain, having to endure the force of most of her strikes. Heavy bone on bone collisions shook Akua's body. There was a three-to-four year discrepancy in their age that accounted for the Uchiha's inability to absorb the force of the girl's strikes. However, Akua had yet to retaliate. Once again, her reserved nature would not aid her here, but she continued to persist.

With the training battle dragging out, fatigue set in. Akua's hair was matted to her forehead and the sides of her face, pasted on by the sweat and blood dripping from her chin. Her heart was pumping at rates she thought was inhumane, the beating sound audible to her ears. The young girl's lungs gasped for air as she endlessly maneuvered around the arena, occasionally being knocked off course by one of her three opponents. They'd held off fighting each other for the time being to succeed in laying Akua out across the ground. The goal was accomplished.

The individual female of the three was in direct contact with Akua. The others interrupted at alternate intervals, implementing their fair share of punishment. One of the boys dropped in with his extended leg, only landing when Akua separated herself from the girl. This evasion was inadequate, as it resulted in another series of knuckles pounding into Akua's torso. With her body whiplashing back, she was halted, latched onto by her head and hair. Akua caught a glimpse of the female before her nose was spread out against her crushing knee. A fountain of carmine sprayed from her nostrils as the girl reeled back, struggling to recapture her footing. That mattered no longer, since Akua was now collapsed into the ground, her neck almost snapped by the force of a shin to the face. She laid in a tiny blood pool, accumulating from the drainage of her sinus, and for a few minutes, everything was black.

Before, and during the time Akua passed out, one of the boys were already showing his true colors. While another boy had struck Akua down with his attack, he prematurely abandoned their short-term alliance. Pressure points in the girl's back was pinned down and before she realized she'd been struck, the support of her right knee was stomped out. The boy hooked her head underneath his arm and dropped her back against the solid edge of his knee. Several vertebrae were dislocated. He watched in content at the pain their opponent experienced. All the girl could do was twitch; her body fell into complete shock and it was expressed through the agony that froze on her face.

After having dealt with Akua, the second boy turned around to the sight of the scene. "You bastard!" he swore. Cursing him was the only effective thing that the boy could do. Similar to the other two on the ground, this child was dispatched just as quickly. Calculated counters opened up his defenses and earned him the dismantlement of his ribcage. Fists drilled into the boy's torso like a jackhammer when his guard was broken. He coughed up a spout of blood when his back hit the floor, which he eventually choked on and drowned in. That was his unfortunate end. Such a result was common and more than tolerated, for succumbing to death was also seen as weakness.

"Well done, Yoshimura," the Head of the panel congratulated. Just as the blonde haired boy turned to accept the praise, there was a shuffling sound. Akua was meagerly pushing herself up from the ground.

Akua wasn't aware of what was going on. The girl thought she'd blacked out for an extended period of time and needed to remove herself from a room she felt no longer required her presence. The magnitude in which she was incorrect was life-threatening. Seething with rage that Akua was conscious, Yoshimura pounced upon her. Her body was pushed over to her back and her head pressed into the ground by her neck. Yoshimura had larger hands and longer fingers than the average eight-year-old, using them to lock around Akua's throat. With her oxygen supply cut, Akua's eyes widened. She kicked and struggled, but that only closed her esophagus even further. Her body was trapped, mounted onto the heavier, older boy. The girl gasped desperately for the air that refused to enter her shriveling lungs, the sacks being poisoned by carbon dioxide. Akua tried one more time to free herself by clawing at Yoshimura's eyes, but he made a clever use of his bending elbows and his posture to keep her short reach from himself. The suffocating girl's hands gave up, clenching over Yoshimura's wrists. "Tell me! 'Gimmie a reason why I shouldn't kill you right here..!" the psychotic boy demanded.

Of course, Akua wasn't able to speak verbally, but she spoke through her trembling violet eyes. It was the first time in her life she experienced _that_ terror, the terror of death. Now her pupils were icing over. The look on that boy's face as he choked the life from her body was beyond any normal human satisfaction. This was the look of an addict getting his fix.

"Ah… there it is… that look in your eyes says it all," Yoshimura said, loosening the finger-made noose around her neck, "and I can't get enough… that fear for your life… hehehe. If I killed you, I wouldn't be able to see it again! You better hope I never see you again, you pitiful, grape-eyed trash."

That was the last Akua heard of him, that day before her lights went out against a strike from his fist. She found herself in her lightless quarters within the Genesis building the next time she opened her eyes. Filthy bandages were wrapped around her body and there was a numb feeling that lingered over her right eye. Her vision shifted in the dark room, focusing enough to view the face of the individual who sat by her. The emerald chakra of the mystical palm technique was being applied to her arm. Akua attempted to lift herself, but the pain from her injuries pulled her back down with a grunt. "Relax, Akua! They beat you up pretty bad this time, geez," scolded a little girl.

"Sara… you don't need to—"

"Oh please, you can barely move."

"Ouch!" Akua yelped. Sara was dabbing disinfectant into her remaining wounds before she applied the medical ninjutsu to them. "…Ugh," Akua mumbled, unable to do anything but comply.

Shortly afterward, a flickering light emitted by a candle cleared out much of the darkness, casting long shadows against the wall. Sara's fair complexion and sparkling, ocean blue eyes were now visible. Her dirty blonde hair was also tied back into a bun. Akua was more interested in the boy who was holding the candle that walked through the door frame. "Nii-san…" Akua managed to mumble.

"How's she doing, Sara?"

"Well… I'm not a doctor but she ain't too good. She'll live, though."

Senshi placed the candlelight upon a shelf on the other side of the tiny cell then turned back to his sister. He sighed, "Why'd you go and let them do this to you, one-chan?!"

"There was nothing I could do… they were older, bigger, and stronger than me…" A tear squeezed itself free from the corner of Akua's eye. Senshi reached for her face, and when his hand pulled back, there was an icepack in his grasp. By his expression, she could tell he was stunned at what she saw. Akua's eyes weren't the the only purple things on her face.

"Ugh…" Senshi clenched his fist.

"Sorry… nii-san, I'm just not good enough… I'm… trash," Akua claimed, reiterating Yoshimura's words.

Sara rolled her eyes, "Stop talkin' nonsense!"

"Whoever told you that is an idiot, one-chan, you're special. Those cool red eyes you had the other day prove it!"

"Mom said I'm not supposed to use them anymore though…"

"That don' matter!" Senshi stood and held out his pinkie, "Point is, you having them in the first place means you're worth something! Don't ever let anyone tell you that you aren't, okay? Promise me."

Akua let out a breath. Despite her body aching in immeasurable pain, she managed to outstretch her free arm. Senshi leaned in closer to ease the struggle of his sister. Alas, they were able to seal the deal, locking their pinkie fingers together.

 **END FLASHBACK**

"I promise," Akua murmured, waking from her slumber. She was laid against her side, facing the wall on the other side of the chamber she was in. Upon examining her surroundings, Akua concluded that it was a jail cell, and it wasn't much different from the tiny cell in her memories. This cell looked newer, well-kept and was more spacious. The sheen of the steel walls became clear when light shone in from outside. There was an individual standing beyond the bars that came into view. They weren't able to tell whether or not Akua noticed them.

"Wake up," the guard called. The man banged on the bars with his keys.

"What do you want?" Akua answered.

"Time to go. You've been summoned."

"Hm… oh really? Who's asked for me," the girl questioned. She hadn't moved from her sleeping position yet.

"The Seventh Hokage has ordered an audience with you."

"I see. I guess I can't turn him down."

"That would be the logical decision," the man said, "now c'mon, show me your hands."

Akua took her time lifting herself from bed. She sat at the side of the bed for a moment before feeling weighted down, or rather, felt that she was being tugged at in all directions. Furthermore, she found it difficult to focus her sensory ability. Another conclusion was drawn about the room because of this. It was clear to her that chakra restricting mechanisms were built into the area. It was a bold move, placing her in the cell with no physical restraints.

The guard at the gate became increasingly uneasy as the Uchiha girl approached the bars. He felt as though she was peering into his soul, deciphering the contents of his heart with her bloody crimson gaze. Every step she took, his body trembled. The guard didn't want to flee the scene, however; it wouldn't look good on his part. Akua, on the other hand, was fully aware of the effect she was having on him and it made her grin. Her Sharingan was involuntarily tearing him down. Every twitch and jitter of his body was visible, no matter how much he tried to hide it. The man's heart was like a throbbing, open book to her.

For some odd reason, the guard noticed the space between Akua and himself stretch. There was a long tunnel between them as Akua walked towards him, and the crimson light seemed to vanish into darkness. But there he was, trapped in a void darkness with no sense of direction. Now the fear of the unknown plagued him. The guard's breathing became erratic and he couldn't keep himself calm enough to prevent excessive perspiration. Stinging pain was creeping into his head as if the darkness was squeezing his brain. Just before he could let out a howl, he was snapped back to reality by the ringing of the metal bars. Akua, who seemingly disappeared into the black distance, was before him with one hand through the section of the gate where handcuffs were applied. She used the other to knock the joint in her index finger against a bar. The guard threw himself back and tumbled onto the floor after realizing his sudden proximity. "C'mon now, is there something wrong, sir? We'll be late with you relaxing like that," Akua teased. Her tone was drenched in sarcasm.

"…Tsk..! You little…—"

"You having some troubling there, deputy?" A young male asked.

"O-Of course not!" the guard shoveled to his feet and applied the handcuffs to Akua's wrists. He let out a huge breath because of the action that went so smoothly.

Akua's Sharingan darted to the right to see who was approaching, and she wasn't exactly thrilled to see this person. In fact, she wasn't thrilled to see anyone at this point. "Hishiro… come to keep an eye on me?"

"Figured you'd give this guy some trouble, I know how defensive you get around strangers."

"Don't get any smart ideas, I didn't do anything."

"I wouldn't call that… _nothing,_ " Hishiro reprimanded. The guard was still shaking from Akua's genjutsu.

"Whatever you say," Akua said, shutting her eyes, "cover them, won't you? Now, let's not keep the Seventh waiting."

* * *

Although Naruto was awaiting the arrival of a certain guest, he was first greeted by someone else. Given the current circumstances with the live broadcast the night before, Naruto expected this person's presence in his office much sooner. The Hokage was prepared for the mouthful he was about to receive in only a few moments. The raging chakra that climbed the several flights of stairs and traversed the hallways was almost impossible to ignore. Naruto made his way around his desk and rested in his chair. Fingers sifted through his short blonde hair as his face sunk into his palms. Without authorization or permission, his door flew open on its hinges and bashed against the wall. Tiny shards of wood sprinkled onto the floor along with pebbles of stone from cracks in the door frame. "NARUTO!" roared a woman. The hue of her cherry blossom hair baked with a flaming aura.

"Hey… Sakura! How's it go—"

"Don't even! You know exactly why I'm here!" Sakura shouted, stomping over and smashing her fists into The Seventh's desk. The Hokage was relieved that she was able to hold back this much of her strength. Had Sakura completely lost it, the mansion would've already been in ruins.

"Just relax…" Naruto suggested.

Sakura continued regardless, "You were concealing another one of those Shin clones and made her my genin student?! What were you thinking?! You had her around your son, my daughter… just recently they were responsible for all that mess when Sasuke was around, weren't you aware of what could happen with that one?!"

"Look, Sakura," Naruto began to address all her claims, "first of all, I was not apart of the committee that organized the genin squads during your year. Second, Akua isn't—"

"Come to think of it," the woman interrupted, "I've never once met her parents. That just proves it even further! What are you trying to hide, Naruto?!"

"She's not a Shin clone, okay?!"

"Then how do you explain those eyes? I saw the broadcast. The only people who should have those eyes are my husband and my daughter!"

"Well, that's the thing," Naruto sighed, "Sarada isn't Sasuke's only child."

Sakura chuckled, "You're joking, right? We have one child, Naruto, stop being an idiot…"

There were no comedic signs in Naruto's expression. The longer he maintained the silent eye-to-eye contact, the more Sakura's conviction faltered.

"A-Are you serious… but he… we're…"

"She has a different mother."

"Sasuke… he… that filthy…" the woman's clenched fists tightened. Veins were now rising through the skin of her arms and a bulge popped into her forehead.

"Wait!" Naruto sprung from his chair and held his arms out in defense, "it's not what it seems, this is why I didn't want to tell you yet, you'd overreact!"

"Overreact? How long have you known about this?!"

Naruto gulped down, "Around the time she immigrated…"

"Two years ago. And when did you think it'd be necessary for me to know that my HUSBAND has another child?!" Sakura screamed. She shook her head, tossing tears from side to side. "No… I can't… this is unbelievable, all this time away from our daughter and I, and he's had some whore—"

"It's not like that…" Naruto took a seat in his chair once more, placing his face into his palms. "If you recall, Akua is a bit older than Sarada. She is Sasuke's firstborn."

"Then…"

"Akua happened a good while before you two were married."

"He still… had sex with another woman…" —Sakura's bangs fell into her face when her head hung— "he told me…" —she thought back to the moment Sasuke left after the war and the short conversation they had— "he told me…wait on him… but he went and had his first time with someone else..?"

"That's not exactly the case, Sakura…"

"Then what is the case, Naruto!" she made a sweeping gesture and knocked several objects and documents from the desk onto the ground. "Stop beating around the fucking bush! You're giving me these thoughts and I—"

"Akua's mother told me a long time ago what happened between her and Sasuke. There was no romantic love. It was just a single night they shared when Sasuke met up with Orochimaru during his hiatus. Her mother, as well as Sasuke, were intoxicated and… they ended up having sexual relations. Sasuke had no idea until about the same time I found out."

"So she's just some… reckless mistake of his," Sakura concluded.

"W-Why would you say that… she was your student…"

"And you two didn't think to tell me when we were all together a few weeks ago?"

"I'm sorry Sakura… I felt he should've been the one to tell you. I know you're upset, but just please don't take this out on Akua; direct your anger to us. She's been through a lot."

"Oh really?" Sakura spat, "Where's that mother of hers then?"

"Dead," Akua answered, entering the room with her escorts.

* * *

Accompanying the young Uchiha girl as she stepped through the open doorway were three members of the Anbu Black Ops: Hishiro, the female captain of Akua's search team and Sai, the Anbu Commander. Each of them were positioned around Akua's perimeter, leaving the area in front of her open. Moreover, the girl's hands were bound in front of her with chakra-restricting handcuffs, a soft white blindfold also wrapped around her eyes. There was an extended silence in the room when she walked and spoke out to Sakura's question. "Dead? What are you talking about… wait… how much did you hear..?"

"Was there something I wasn't supposed to hear, Sensei?"

Sakura gulped.

"My mother… has been dead since last Friday night, Sensei." Akua's head tilted towards the desk. She maintained a straight face, but Sakura was able to see the tears that spontaneously soaked into the cloth around her student's eyes upon speaking those words.

Sakura pieced things together, "Then the woman that was found dead at the scene of Kojiro lane was actually…"

"Her mother," Naruto cut in, "it was Karin."

Now the pink haired woman was at a loss of breath. She turned to Naruto, "How could this have happened?!" Sakura's current lack of ignorance immediately caused a sense of regret. The Hokage didn't have an answer for her. The woman turned back to the girl. "Akua, I'm so s—"

"Keep it," Akua directed, "I don't want nor deserve your apologies or pity. I'm the one responsible, anyway."

"…Responsible..?" Sakura turned to the Hokage, "what is she talking about?"

Naruto shook his head, "…it's complicated."

There was an awkward silence. Not only was regret settling in, but unbearable guilt when Sakura stared at the blindfolded girl and examined her body. Bandages were wrapped around her hands, arms, legs and even her torso underneath her shirt. They were tarnished, stained with grassy residues and dirt. The woman could only imagine the physical pain Akua had been through within the past few days. She didn't dare try to wrap her mind around Akua's emotional pain. Never in her life had Sakura had to cope with something so blistering and devastating. Several thoughts were running through her head now. Even with her current knowledge, Sakura still knew nothing about a child that was her former student and it didn't bother her beforehand. She now realized why that was the case: she was afraid to know more. Sakura didn't want to believe herself, but she'd been paranoid about who Akua was, ever since she saw her face. Behind those bright amethyst eyes, she could see the glare of her husband. From the way Akua carried herself, the way she walked — she saw her husband. Sakura could deny it no longer.

"Why is she chained up? I didn't request any security to come with her either." Naruto inquired, breaking the ice. He noticed the handcuffs and blindfold that handicapped Akua. Furthermore, he was puzzled as to why not one, not two, but three Anbu, including their leader, were present in his office.

Sai waved, "Oh, I just tagged along to say hello is all." After all these years, he was finally becoming proficient at smiling genuinely.

Naruto directed his attention towards the female Anbu captain that stood by Akua's side. The bridge of her nose was covered by a bandage and there were traces of dried up blood underneath her nostrils. "What the hell happened to you?"

The woman pointed towards her nose, "This is why she needs to be restrained, sir."

"Ah yes! It's a funny story, Lord Seventh," Sai began, "it all happened last night."

"Go on."

"Well, when Akua showed us her Sharingan, we were all quite confused. It was I," Sai mentioned, "that first realized who she was. I'd recognize the feel of that chakra anywhere. Even her visual prowess resembled Sasuke's; in fact I'd say they were even more potent than when I first experienced Sasuke's Sharingan, and that was when he was fifteen years old, I believe. Once that was figured out, our captain here made a sly comment, referring to Akua here, as a 'filthy bastard', since it was well known that Sarada was Sasuke's only child."

The Hokage wasn't pleased by the Anbu captain's apparent remarks that Sai pointed out. "Then what happened?" he asked.

"She… socked me in the nose…" the captain grunted.

"And knocked her out cold, she wasn't expecting it at all!" Sai added. "We couldn't tell whether or not she was attacking anyone else, so we decided to hold her in a cell for the night after apprehending her."

Naruto directed his gaze towards the young Uchiha girl. "Take her blindfold off."

"But Lord Seventh…" Hishiro tried to warn him.

"Do it."

Hishiro complied. He pulled the knot from the white cloth and removed it from around Akua's eyes. There were clear signs of presence from tear fluid. The salty residue dried up the skin underneath her eyelids, however it was overshadowed; unnoticeable because of the gleaming crimson. Sakura, who stood silently at the side with angst sewn into her face, seemed terrified at the resemblance of her husband. Although they possessed an impeccable beauty, Akua's eyes were the most sinister pair Sakura had ever seen. When focusing on them alone, she was vaguely remind of the despotic Ōtsutsuki princess. "Ugly, right, Sensei?"

Sakura wanted to respond but her lips were numb.

"No, Akua, they aren't. They're stunning," The Seventh commented. The girl looked away from the man, refusing the compliment. "Now tell me, why did you do this? Why did reveal your eyes before—"

"Because… I have nothing more to lose," Akua answered, "everything I once had is already gone. Whatever happens next doesn't matter to me anymore."

"You don't mean that, you still have your entire life ahead of you. Just go to the orphanage and rest."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not my home, Lord Hokage," Akua countered, her voice becoming more stern.

"It's only temporary—"

"You still don't get it? _This place_ , Konoha, is not my home. It never was and never will be; I was an idiot to think that it would. My house is gone, my mother is dead, I lost…" Akua failed to finish her sentence, "and my name is taboo in the streets. I don't belong here and I don't want to stay any longer."

"Ya know, my situation when I was a kid was a lot like yours right now. No one in the village acknowledged me; they all hated me for what I was. Now I'm their Hokage. Abandoning this is a mistake, Akua… there's so much for you… Sasuke will be here again soon—"

"I don't care, Lord Seventh. I don't care to see that man, not anymore," Akua declared. Sakura went from sorrow to vexation in an instant. Naruto was shocked and worried. His fist was clenching upon the desk. This was a side of Akua, a turn of events, that he never hoped to see. Karin's death wasn't the only thing that was bothering Akua now, since he left the hospital with her attempting to cope, and it was clear to him. Now the Uchiha was simply rejecting everything. "The difference between us, Seventh, is what the people think about me is their issue. I'm not going out of my way to change their minds. As for Sasuke, he's the reason I've been put in this position in the first place. He's about as dead to me as my mother is." Akua shut her eyes before uttering the next few words, "I'm finished here, now will you leave me be?"

Naruto rose from his desk with power and threw his hand out to the side, "No, I've had enough of this!"

Everyone in the room was momentarily shaken by The Seventh's action. There was a subtle spike in his chakra which was negligible to himself, however vast and absurdly abundant to others. A bead of sweat rolled down Akua's forehead and around her widened eye when sensing his shift in attitude. Naruto, however, was aware of what he was doing. The man was afraid that what he was about to say would be too harsh, but after years of dealing with one, he learned that the best way to get through to an Uchiha was by aggressive reasoning. "Listen to me," The Seventh demanded, "I don't know what happened between when I let you leave the hospital yesterday morning and now, but if you let it dictate the way you live your life from here on out, you'll regret it and Karin's death would've truly been done in vain."

As if there were a chemical reaction to his words, Akua's eyes welled up with tears. The other four in the room were clueless as to what Naruto's purpose was in relaying his diction to her; they felt such blatant statements would only make the situation worse.

"With this mindset, you'll never accomplish a thing. What you're doing isn't being tough. You're being a coward and running away from your pain. Face it head on, or you'll never be able to find your brother."

"Shut up!" Akua screamed, throwing her body forward. The three Anbu responded by restricting her from moving any further towards The Seventh. "Shut your mouth..!" she started breaking down in fury and streaming tears.

"But, you don't have to face it alone. There's nothing wrong with having others help you with your problems or goals. That's what I did my entire life and it paid off. If I was lying to you, I wouldn't be in this office right now."

Akua hung her head, letting her tears drip into the ground. The truth was crippling.

"Your late uncle, Itachi Uchiha, once told me something I'll never forget. He said, 'however strong you become, never seek to bear everything alone. If you do, failure is certain.' It still resonates with me today. You don't want to fail, do you?" Naruto asked, walking around the desk to approach the girl.

"…No…" Akua replied, sinking to her knees. Naruto gestured to the Anbu behind her, requesting the key to her handcuffs.

"Sir, I don't think—"

"Here you go," Sai said after discreetly pickpocketing the Captain and handing Naruto the key.

"She's not a danger," The Hokage reassured while unlocking Akua's cuffs. "Will you accept my help, Akua?"

When The Seventh removed Akua's handcuffs she immediately leaned over into a kneeling bow, pressing her forehead into the ground. Her body shook from the sobs she attempted to hold back. "I'm so sorry for speaking out of line… please forgive me," Akua pleaded. "You're sure that you're willing to help me, Lord Seventh?"

"If it will allow me to support you and keep you here."

The Uchiha girl rose from the floor and deactivated her Sharingan, reverting crimson to violet. She stared blankly at the floor. "I won't run away from… my emotions and problems anymore. If I'm going to face them, then that means I'll have to go beyond finding my brother. I have to repent, or else I'll never be able to get over this guilt…"

Sakura and the Anbu captain in the room were curious as to what she meant by repenting. They were one of the few people that possessed no knowledge of Akua accidentally murdering her mother, Karin.

"How exactly do you plan on going about that?" Sai asked.

"Everyone responsible for my mother's death must pay their dues, including myself. I will go to the ends of the earth to find them."

Naruto was reluctant to respond because he could see where Akua was going with her request. He now had to decide which path she would walk. The man sighed and weighed his options. _If this is the only way…_ he thought to himself. "…I have an idea. I've already said before that I wasn't going to convict you, but if you really wish to repent then you can 'repay' whatever dues you think you may owe by accepting my invitation to the Anbu Black Ops, Konoha's special forces."

"Seventh..!" the nose-bled captain reacted, immediately being silenced by Sai's gesture of hand.

"A direct appointment..? You must really be confident in her abilities, Lord Seventh," Sai mentioned.

"I can also vouch. She's a more than capable candidate," Hishiro endorsed.

Akua glanced around at the members behind her then back at The Seventh. "How will that help me?" she wondered.

"You can serve the city in a way a regular shinobi cannot. You're essentially the backbone of this infrastructure called Konoha. Furthermore, your missions will more than likely be dangerous. There's no guarantee that you'll return alive, but this is the only way you'll be able to get close enough to Kusagakure. I've tasked them with bringing Jurou in, and I want you to be apart of it."

"I will put my life on the line for this city and this country, Lord Hokage," Akua stated, bowing before the man.

"Although your contribution may be great, as a full time Anbu you must work in the shadows. You'll receive very little recognition from the people of Konoha for your endeavors."

"I understand. How do I begin?"

* * *

Akua left The Hokage's office that morning under the prying eye of the Anbu that brought her there, as well as Sakura herself. Both the married woman and Naruto were left with a sense of unease when the young girl departed. For Sakura, her stress derived from worrying about the future of her family and her marriage. Sasuke had a lot of explaining to do, as well as plenty to deal with when he returned home. Conversely, Naruto was debating whether or not his decision was correct. In the end, there were few other options that he could have selected. Afterall, Naruto did not want her making the same mistakes that her father made. There was a limit to his influence over Akua, however there were things that even he, himself, could not prevent simply because he didn't have the ability to turn back time.

The only people who knew the location of the Anbu's headquarters were The Hokage and his advisors along with current and certain former members of the force. A majority of ex-members had their memories cleansed of the exact coordinates when they left. Moreover, members weren't allowed to provide anyone outside of the organization with knowledge of the headquarters. Such as the protocol with a group that demanded secrecy. Now Akua was one of the small number of individuals. She was brought to a little house located on the outskirts of the city, within the district of Sumida. "What are we doing here and where'd the other two go?" Akua asked. She followed behind Hishiro as they walked through the building. It was empty and void of any activity or life, as if it had been abandoned for years.

"We're gonna get you enrolled, of course! The other two went ahead to get the documents ready," Hishiro said, "I think you'll be the youngest in the force, actually. That's impressive."

"Yea, yea…" Akua rolled her eyes. She wasn't flattered by his compliment, but instead payed close attention when an opening in the floor revealed itself as Hishiro stood in a certain part of the house and held a peculiar handsign. "So this is the hideout?"

"Only part of it. This is just one of the entrances," he answered as they descended a flight of stairs into a pit of darkness. Lanterns ignited in bright amber flames along the walls and into the hallway, as they walked through to light their way. Eventually they came to a dimly-lit rectangular chamber that seemed to extend down endlessly into the earth. Above and below, blackwood bridges lined with dull crimson railing that extended across the chasm which was at least one hundred meters in diameter. They were positioned at various points and lead into different pathways along the chamber's perimeter.

"So it's actually underground, should've expected that," Akua admitted, "but I'd never imagine something as extensive as this residing under Konoha."

"Me neither. I was just like you when I first joined. As for this base, it used to be the headquarters of an organization called 'Root.'"

"Root as in… the foundations of plants?"

"That's the idea. It was originally a sect of the Anbu organization that carried out… _controversial_ tasks and was more similar to how the Genesis program is run, to make a comparison."

"Oh… I see, so they took kids in at an early age and put them through brutal training… and the Kage's allowed this?" At this point, Akua and Naruto were halfway across the main bridge.

"Well, Root wasn't as brutal as Genesis. Besides, it was active under the noses of the Kage for a long time. It was officially disbanded about two decades ago, but continued operations regardless, under the leadership of Danzō Shimura. The current Anbu commander, Sai, was a former member; you could speak to him if you have any more questions since that's about all I know."

"Shimura..?" Akua mumbled.

"Huh… what about him?"

"Nothing… I just… I'm pretty sure I knew his great granddaughter. Used to be my former Genin squad mate."

"Oh really? That's cool! How's she doing?"

"She's dead now."

"Oh… shit." _Goddamnit_ , Hishiro thought to himself. Akua's words had stopped him in his tracks, causing her to bypass him. Just when the young Anbu shinobi thought she was getting more comfortable with him, he'd gone and treaded on uncharted territory.

Akua said next to nothing for the rest of the time she was within the headquarters. Instead, the girl focused on completing the task of enlisting herself. Signing the recruiting documents that were given the seal of approval by the Seventh Hokage were the first steps. After this was completed, she was able to recite the organization's oath of honor. "Welcome to the Anbu," Sai said once more, returning to lead Akua in reciting the oath. The Uchiha was assigned a locker space to store belongings as well as a small room for quartering in between missions. She did not plan on using a vast amount, however. Hishiro then followed her into the tailor's chamber where she was measured and sized for her gear; about forty-eight hours had to pass for it all to be complete.

"What now?" Akua looked over to Hishiro.

"You get to pick out a mask, we all wear one," he gestured to his own. It was still the semi-style that only covered the upper half of his face and instead of separate eyeholes, there was a single thin screen that extended across for him to see through. "This one is the eagle style. There's also other animal styles and the oni styles, most members have the animal style though." They entered the selection room. There were an array of guises across the wall, all separated by the type of mask they were. "Each mask is made of a sturdy porcelain material and lined with a metal alloy on the interior," Hishiro explained, displaying the parts of a random mask to her. "The metal is apart of the new tech advancements in masks. They come with built-in microphones, headsets and user interfaces."

"What the hell is an interface?" Akua asked while she walked around examining masks. She still lacked extensive knowledge of how modern technology advancements operated.

"Basically like… ah, it's got... cool gadgets built in like the GPS system, an activity log, the mission-target database and physical enhancements that supplement our perceptive abilities. We're able to get thermal readings to depict targets through walls, zoom in and zoom out of images we capture through the lenses and analyze a target's identity through photographic—"

"You lost me at 'basically'," Akua interrupted. As Hishiro sighed in defeat, she retrieved a mask from the shelves. Holding the light, porcelain material in both hands and gazing into its sharp eyeholes, Akua broke a brief moment of silence with a chuckle.

"Eh? What's so funny?"

"It's nothing, I was just… thinking back to when I made fun of you about your mask because I said you didn't have anything to hide. I regret it."

"Why's that?"

"…Because now I have too much, and this mask can't hide all of it."

* * *

Akua massaged the skin that covered the deltoid in her upper right arm as she wandered like a phantom through the streets and alleyways of Konoha, making it a point to not be detected. The skin cells themselves were still sore, a burning glow of pink outlined the tattoo that was inked into them. This was the mark each Konoha Anbu member, past and present, bore and Akua couldn't seem to keep herself from irritating it, despite the instructions she was given. The girl halted atop the roof of a building to apply an antibiotic ointment that also worked to soothe the pain for a short period of time. With this, she was able to continue the path towards her destination. Instead of taking the train or running the distance, she strolled the entire way to the opposite end of the city on foot. The forty-five kilometer trip didn't end until the sun vanished from the sky for the moon to replace it, going well into the next day. To anyone else, it would've been a mystery as to why she elected to walk, but her reason was simple. Akua subconsciously hoped to never arrive.

Alas, the letters of the street sign were as clear as day: Kojiro Lane. Even though over a week went by, there was still no sign of any disturbances; no construction. The entire block, or at least the buildings that were damaged, were still a scorched mess of housing infrastructure, wooden beams, glass and furniture. It was exercise in it of itself trying to maneuver through the debris, leaving Akua having to shove objects out of her way to get by. It caused chain reactions leading to the collapsing of other debris structures. A clearing then became present. Dry blood was scattered across the thin road and chalk marks still lined where the bodies were found. Akua stared for an extended period of time at a specific outline in the ground. The scene around it appeared familiar to her as well, but the most striking feature was the pair of solid red glasses next to it. No tears were shed. There weren't any left to cry. Akua simply crouched down to examine the eyewear at a closer angle before retrieving it with shaking hands and continuing on.

There was nothing left of the tiny house at the end of the road, all of it was reduced to rubble in an instant and scattered among the rest of the decimated homes. However, Akua still seemed to find value in it, proceeding to approach. As she expected, the foundation of her house was still intact. The girl stepped carefully about the stone and wood to where her room use to be. Clearing the leftover beams revealed a compartment in her floor that didn't suffer from much damage. Akua knelt by it and relaxed herself, unlocking the mechanism and opening the latch in the tattered floor boards. There, hidden beneath the remains of destruction was something she kept locked away for quite some time. The Uchiha was reluctant at first, but eventually gained the resolve to reach of the object. _Juuchi_ _Yosamu_ , Akua read the name across the length of the scabbard, … _-no-Murasame_. _I've ignored you all this time_. Recalling the obtaining of her tattoo before she left the headquarters to arrive reminded her of the reason she came in the first place.

" _Akua, what do you plan on doing, really?"_ Hishiro's questions were replaying in Akua's head while she clenched the weapon.

 _What do you mean?_ Akua remembered herself say. At the same time in the present, she removed the bandages from around her hand and let her teeth sink into the thumb to draw blood.

" _You said that you wanted to make sure everyone responsible for your… mother's death would pay their dues. I'm curious."_

Akua's pierced thumb painted a line of carmine red liquid around the area where the hilt sealed shut against the scabbard. The blood was drawn to the ridge and soaked in. Dark, violet-tinted steam radiated from the hilt as the scabbard loosened. The starvation of a thousand years came to an end. _I'm going to find each and every one, I'm going to have them experience the pain I went through… and then I'm going slaughter them._ Akua remembered the look on Hishiro's face perfectly. He couldn't tell whose eyes he was staring into.

With her fingers closing around the handle and a bit of pressure applied, Akua was now able to draw the blade that before wouldn't budge when tampered with. "Hm, so the riddle and the book were true." As more of the unaged steel touched fresh oxygen, the hiss of its presence slithered through Akua's ear with a silvery ring and a mist of death permeated her flesh. All eighty centimeters were now revealed. Each angle the blade was tilted at seemed to allow its razor edge to split individual beams of light, covering the walls around her in glowing flecks of amethyst hues. Akua's own eyes glowed in unison, however they were sealed shut as she soaked in the malevolent presence of a million tethered souls. Deafening whispers invaded her ears, each voice overlapping the other to the point where nothing else was audible. Their ancient voices resonated deeply into Akua's core, gnawing at the very essence of her being. To them, she was just more prey to be crushed underneath their temptations, another body to be drained of it's blood and sapped of its soul. Unfortunately for these phantoms, she had no such intention. The next moment was pure silence, interrupted only by the severing of skin and the dripping of fluid against the ground. Through Akua's own command, the very tip of the blade found a new home in the center of her left palm. The dead haunted no longer, frightened into submission by a will more sinister than their own. The opening of Akua's eyelids revealed the hearth of this malice, whether she intended it to or not. Crimson reflections of her eyes, visible in the steel of the blade, made this apparent as she gazed. However, within her heart, for the first time, shame was nonexistent.

Akua carefully cleaned the wound in her palm and replaced the bloodstained bandages with new wraps. Afterwards, black gloves were adorned on both hands with a sleeve that extended to the biceps. Due to her new equipment still in development, the rest of the Uchiha's outfit consisted of the old Anbu gear in the meantime. With the thirst of her weapon quenched, Akua was able to sheath the blade. Second thoughts about its usage arose when the time came to select a katana to wield as apart of her equipment set. Akua denied the offers of the organization; Juuchi Yosamu was the most adequate companion for her purpose. Thus, the katana gifted to her several months prior would finally be put to use as it was now strapped about her waist, awaiting the next moment it would draw blood. The last article was the mask. While Akua rose from her knelt position and retraced her steps down the street in departure, the guise she selected was drawn from a clip on her belt. Unlike the other mask types with vibrant color designs, this one was plain, polished silver except for the black lines that traced down the center of both eyeholes. There were no markings for a mouth, whiskers or nose. The mask was simply shaped to mold onto her face, however like the creature-style designs, it had a short snout. With this piece snug and shrouding Akua's appearance in shadows, the gleam of the Sharingan was, regardless, able to shine through.

 **A/N: Akua's answer is clear, and her intentions well known. Perhaps embracing this side of herself was what she needed to do all along. What does the future now spell? The next chapter in the story will be titled:** _ **A Night in Shibuya**_ **.**

 **This next chapter's release may or may not be on Aug 13th. The reason for that being is this entire month will be more than busy for me and I'll don't think I'll find the time to complete it. I will try my best but if I don't end up posting on the 13th then my next update will be a release on Aug 27th.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to you feedback! Until next time.**

 **Fav/Follow/Review**


	18. A Night in Shibuya 1

**A/N: Long time no see huh? I've returned again with another chapter, sorry to keep you all waiting. This one promises to get a bit violent so be prepared. I also originally planned for this title to be one chapter but it ended up being so lengthy and I was running out of time, so I decided to split it up. This will be the first part of two to three parts.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Ch 18**

 **A Night in Shibuya 1**

The stifling rays of the sun beamed down upon the Land of Fire throughout these summer weeks, scorching the earth that lay beneath it. In the midst of a long dry spell, nature suffered. The soil was parched and plants received little to no fluid to photosynthesize, turning once vibrant emeralds into wilting, shrivelled stems of mustard green. As the land suffered, so did its citizens. Water supplies that depended upon rain as a source steadily became depleted in small, rural villages which usually received little attention from the urban municipalities around them. Their crops were dying and it forced some to take up arms to solve these problems for themselves in an unacceptable way. They bullied and raided other small villages for any sort of resources they might have been storing, resulting violent conflicts and even death. Thus, several teams of genin were sent out to aid in the protection of villages against such bandits.

Team Konohamaru was apart of this influx of genin to the rural towns, travelling to aid an area labeled Huoka, situated to the South of Konoha. The Seventh Hokage wanted to keep his son as far away from the Land of Grass—which was towards the north—as possible. Luckily in the interest of the team members, they were quickly met with bandit resistance once they arrived. Being an elite team of genin, Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki neutralized them without much effort. The only sweat they broke was due to the blistering atmosphere around them. Konohamaru's assistance wasn't necessarily in this escapade, allowing him to sit quietly in the shade while his young students handled the job. "Sensei!" Sarada called out, ducking underneath the swing of a hatchet. Her opponent possessed sluggish movements for a thin man, perhaps because the weapon was too heavy for him to handle. "Shouldn't you be helping us?"

"Oh no way! You guys've got this handled!" Konohamaru witnessed the Uchiha girl maneuver her way through three assailants before dispatching them all with one-hit combo strikes.

"Tsk!" she responded.

"Don't fret, Sarada," Mitsuki said, manhandling his own group of bandits, "it only means there's more for us to go around, doesn't it?"

"Yea, yea, yea," the girl agreed, flashing her single tomoe Sharingan towards several other attackers. Never having seen the dojutsu before, most of them cowered in fear, hesitant on whether or not to approach her.

Boruto was silent throughout the entirety of the trip to Huoka, and continued to be as he utilized his gentle fist training to defeat bandits. Their wild strikes and brute strength were no match for the boy's elusiveness and agility. Even without usage of the Byakugan, he was able to memorize the location of several pressure points and strike at them with precision. Bodies fell into the dry dirt at his feet.

None of the bandits were killed in the process. Team Konohamaru was knowledgeable of the fact that they were just troubled people in need of assistance who felt they had no other choice. The genin rounded up the men as Konohamaru spoke to and received praise from the village elder. What little crops that were stolen were returned and stability was momentarily restored in one of the many rural towns they would have to visit over this weekend. The next task would be to maintain that stability. Konohamaru went to work at last, locking his fingers into the grainy soil. Chakra pooled around his palms and the translucent, blue tinted liquid that the villagers longed to see sprouted to life. Just as soon as the jonin activated the water style ninjutsu, it was absorbed into the starved soil. Volume returned to the ground and the color opaqued as water flowed. Konohamaru twisted his wrists slightly, and the small stream that ran through the village filled to the brim. Water was now abundant in this season of drought. The Huoka citizens watched in admiration, ogling Konohamaru as some sort of messiah while he cured the land. Cheers erupted among the spectators, surprising the likes of the jonin—he wasn't use to such an audience.

Sarada and Mitsuki stood in the shade of a nearby tree amused by his awkwardness, witnessing his reddening cheeks as the grateful townspeople crowded him. Boruto on the other hand didn't seem very interested in anything occurring at the moment. He was leaned against the tree away from his sensei and teammates with his arms folded. The negative vibes he was giving off were more visible than the boiling waves of heat that baked the atmosphere. "Boruto, what's wrong with you?" Sarada finally asked, looking over her shoulder.

No response. He was clearly vexed, the way his facial features oriented themselves couldn't say otherwise.

Sarada turned, placed her hands against her hips and leaned toward him. "Don't try and hide anything, I can see right through you. You haven't been obnoxious at all lately," she mentioned. Mitsuki discreetly focused in on the conversation.

"Shut up, Sarada, it's none of your business," Boruto shot back.

"While we're on this mission, it is my business. If you can't function because you're mad, you'll get one of us killed on a simple task like this."

"She's right, Boruto," Mitsuki inserted, "we're a team, and we're friends; you can speak to us."

The Uzumaki boy sighed, "I'm fine okay, there's nothing wrong with me."

Refusing to take his word, Sarada narrowed her eyes. "Then can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Have you spoken to Akua since that… incident, on Kojiro lane I mean?"

"No…" he lied, "…I haven't."

Boruto made sure not to make eye contact with Sarada.

"Why not? You two were close, weren't you?"

"No, we weren't, and I don't want to see her again."

Sarada lost her breath. It was unbelievable to her that his perception of the girl he could never take his mind off of could change so drastically. "But why? It doesn't make sense…"

"Why not? You were right about her after all. Quite ironic that stuff would happen the night you called her out ya know, but congrats, you definitely opened my eyes to the truth."

Sarada diverted her own eyes, "It's not something I'm proud of…I think she's—"

"Related to you? Yea, surprised me too," Boruto sneered, "but you weren't there that night. You didn't see what I saw."

"…Well," Mitsuki cut in again, "what did you see?"

Boruto glanced back at his friends with brisk blue eyes.

"A demon."

* * *

Hundreds of kilometers to the northwest of Huoka was a city about half the total size of Konoha. As the sun set beyond the horizon, vibrant lights of various hues replaced it. From a bird's-eye view, Tanzaku Town stood out amongst the forestry that surrounded it. Downtown Tanzaku never slept and the streets were seldom empty throughout the night. It was as if the festivities were eternal. With the newly refurbished Tanzaku Castle, active gambling sites, nightclubs and fine women, the town was a major tourist attraction for both genders alike. However, blood crimson eyes gazed through a porcelain silver mask, overlooking the city from a distance. It was certain that tonight would be the scene of a deadly mission.

A young female sporting straight, jet black hair extending past her shoulders stood perched against a branch with enough distance to survey the entirety of the city. Facial features were hidden behind the silver mask that she wore. Dim shadows from the canopy stretched and shrouded her body that was already snug in all-black attire. This was the new uniform that Konoha's Anbu Black Ops adorned. For females, the pants were a skin-tight carbon-fiber fabric fit to allow more comfortable movement and the once gray flak jacket was discarded for a thinner, black design made of lighter, more sturdy material. This new flak jacket possessed the same overall shape as the previous model, however this too was constructed with a flexible, carbon material. Protection against slashes were guaranteed and physical impacts for the most part were absorbed. New in the uniform were gloved sleeves with metal gauntlets, of various styles available, built into them. Overall, each part of the outfit was secure and optimized for stealth efficiency.

The girl peered through the openings in her mask, seemingly staring at the separating gestures of her index and thumb fingers. However, she was actually zooming into her view of Tanzaku Town. The technology in the mask mapped the movement of her fingers and magnified her line of sight. She was able to get a closer look at what was going on, but there was nothing that appeared to be out of order regardless of the people that already flooded the streets.

"Don't get too antsy now, Kuro," a voice called from behind her. This was short for the codename that she took on; _Kuroshin_ or Blackheart. The girl turned her head around to see the crouched individual. It was Hishiro with his ironic commentary, since Kuroshin was absolutely still, except for the movement of her arm.

"Why do you call me that if you know my real name," she responded.

Hishiro shrugged, "I dunno, mission protocol?"

"Well yours is stupid," Akua said without consideration. Her words left Hishiro feeling as if a boulder shattered over his skull as usual.

"Eyes on target, I repeat, eyes on target," a male voice announced through their masks.

"Let's hope this isn't another dead-end lead," Hishiro prayed, pressing the screen of a paging device in his gauntlet to commence the operation. "You ready, Aku—"

When he looked, she had already vanished.

"Every time…" he sighed with a smile.

Akua wasted no time in making her way towards Tanzaku; she was a beast on the prowl now. At full speed, the Uchiha bolted through the forestry without so much as a rustle of the tree leaves, and within a few moments, was within the city's borders. Leaping across rooftops was the quickest and most covert method of transport for this mission, however, this was not the case for the downtown area. In recent years, taller buildings and skyscrapers decorated the skylines, which made rooftop travel a bit more difficult for untrained shinobi. Akua on the other hand was not set back by this. With chakra focused neatly along her hands and feet she was able to propel and latch herself on from building to building as she zoomed on. "Update on the target's location," Akua requested, examining downtown Tanzaku from an even higher vantage point.

"Target has changed positions. Surveillance sources indicate he's inside Tanzaku Tower."

"Roger that," Akua replied before bolting to the next building.

Tanzaku Tower was a five-star hotel approximately 800 meters from Akua's position. Many wealthy investors, business people, and young bachelors made this their luxurious residence during their stay in the city. Furthermore, it possessed the brightest lights of all the luminescence in the area and its prestigious architecture was impossible to overlook. From her new sky high vantage point, Akua was able to monitor the activity on the streets as well as gather decent information on the individuals she could only see through their chakra, even through the walls of the building. "I'm picking up a read on his chakra signature," Akua reported.

"He's got lookouts positioned around the tower, Kuroshin," Tōzin informed, the third Anbu who accompanied her on this mission.

"I see them."

There were six in total, including one behind the building that she couldn't see but feel. Each of them were equipped with some sort of bow-type weapon for precise, long distance combat. From what Akua's Sharingan could collect from their chakra, these individuals were trained shinobi.

"We're gonna have to take them out," Hishiro tuned in, "try not to kill—"

He was interrupted by the sound of anguish in a male voice over the microphone of Akua's mask, as well as the piercing of flesh. She'd already plunged her katana, Yosamu, through the shinobi's back. Her palm clamped over the man's mouth to muffle his cries. "They would have killed us at a moment's notice," Akua clarified while letting the man suffer, "why should we offer them mercy?"

"Because killing them isn't necessary! Damn it, Kuro..!"

"She's got a point, Nosuri." This was Hishiro's codename which stood for _Buzzard_.

"I'll handle the lookouts. Kuro, go deal with the target and please take it easy."

"I'll try my best," Akua reassured.

Yosamu was ripped from the shinobi's body resulting in him being dropped to the floor. The man's eyes rolled into the back of his head due to the effects that the blade had on him. Moreover, a dark, misty aura extended from the wound that carved through his chest and enveloped the spotless steel of Akua's katana. The Uchiha girl stepped around the pool of blood encroaching her then looked back at the dying ninja. The glowing crimson eyes behind the mask were the last things he saw.

Akua took her time while moving herself closer towards the Tower so that she reduced the risk of attracting attention from the lookouts before her squadmates got a chance to deal with them. She remained stationary once more for a few minutes, reviewing the profile of the target just to make sure the right person was tagged. A man by the name of Koba Egami was the unlucky soul. A local Tanzaku crime boss who oversaw the circulation of various black market products such as illegal weapons and drugs, the man also participated in human trafficking. Although apprehending this gangster for his crimes was significant to the alleviation of Tanzaku Town, there was more to the issue. Investigations of his person lead the Anbu to believe that, like several previous suspects, there were close ties between him and Jurou Hideyoshi.

The material of Akua's gloves rubbed together when her fist clenched. She had her own personal vendetta that made this mission, and all other missions before this, critical. It was the reason why she agreed to take part in the first place. "Jurou Hideyoshi… wait for me," the girl said to herself, finally upon the target location, "…I'll make sure you suffer."

Hideyoshi was the man responsible for commencing that dreadful night. He along with several others were apart of an ever expanding list of individuals that Akua created for herself. These would be the people that tasted her blade, and she would stop at nothing to fulfill this ambition of hers. There was little holding her back now and no care to the dangers that such a goal might entail, yet she was convinced that she had nothing left to lose.

* * *

Koba resided comfortably upon the first level of his two floor penthouse suite, located at the very top of Tanzaku tower. Luxurious furniture and million-ryō silk carpets decorated the rooms while ornate wallpapers, where various paintings and glamourous clocks hung, fashioned the perimeter the full glass wall panels did not reach. The upper floor was where the four bedrooms were located. The lower floor acted more as a living area, resembling that of a nightclub. With nearly 3000 sq ft of open space on the first floor, there was more than enough room for an expansive bar area and lounge towards the center. However, despite all the aesthetics, this penthouse wasn't the best place to be. The area reeked of alcohol, bokusō, and tobacco with smoke floating about the atmosphere. Room service wasn't allowed to be anywhere near the penthouse floor due to Koba's fear of them locating the stash of funjin, an illegal food pill drug he kept hidden. Therefore his cleaning services were left to the young women who were trapped there through trafficking to satisfy his sexual desires. The suite was teeming with illegal activity and Koba's money and fear of his power was the only thing that kept Tanzaku law enforcement looking the other way.

Koba's fist beat into the face of a naked woman for purposely using her teeth during an oral session. The other five women discreetly watched in terror at the event, trying to mind their own business as to not get involved. This was their daily routine, and tomorrow for whatever reason, another one of them would face a similar fate. Underneath their clothing, each hid bruises and scars they'd received from Koba. "Ye stupid whore!" the drug lord cursed as his fingers wrapped around the woman's throat. Every once in awhile, one of these poor females would lose their life due to his abuse and negligence, though quickly replaced by a new captive. This blue haired woman unfortunately was going to be his next victim. That's what the other women thought when she went purple to the face. However, Koba found himself flying across the room and smashing through one of the glass panes.

Hearts jumped when the women saw the dark blur of a phantom zip across the room and into Koba's body, a force that set him through shards of glass. When they blinked, they realized it was no ghost. This was a person, small one at that, with long, raven black hair. Each woman stared at her back as the winds from outside suctioned the air within the penthouse, breaking away the remaining glass shards in the frame. Koba was being held by the collar outside the edge of the frame at the whim of this mysterious savior. The woman who was staring death in the face instances ago caught her breath and stared in awe. Koba seemed to have switched places with her. The fact that he was assured death if he made the wrong move as well as the crimson eyes that beamed into his face collectively made his heart sank. His eyes widened under the glare, and even though wind currents scraped across his skin, he was sweating bullets. Hyperventilation resulted in him losing air in his lung rather than gather it like he hoped. It was then that he realized the gravity of his situation. "AHH!" he wailed, crying for his life. "W-Who the fuck are ye? Do ye know who the fuck I am?! Ye better not drop me ye cunt!"

"Why not? You look like you enjoy taking flights…" Akua sneered. Koba's tough act shattered in an instant.

"Holy shit..! Oh god! I'll give you money, drugs," he pleaded, "anything! Just don't drop me will ye?!"

"That's perfect." Akua held him out further over the ledge. "You're going to tell me everything you know about Hideyoshi. Jurou Hideyoshi."

"Ju—I dunno know who yer talkin' about!"

"I think you do," Akua countered, threatening to drop him again, "don't test my patience, Koba."

 _Is this… a woman? How does she_ —

Akua released him for a split second, letting him fall a few inches before grabbing hold again with her hand around the sides of his face. "You'll be a stain all over the street, you filthy piece of dog shit." Her free hand curled into a fist, burying itself repeatedly into Koba's stomach. After the first strike, he was spitting up blood.

"I don't know h—!"

Koba's back thudded against the wall on the opposite side of the room, sending cracks up to the ceiling. The witnesses couldn't believe Akua was able to throw him that far, and with an instant she was already upon him yet again. They were silently rooting for her. "On second thought," Akua decided, "that death would be too generous." Akua grabbed him by the hair and smashed the side of his face into the ground over and over until it broke into the solid granite that tiled it. "I think I'll just beat it out of you maybe," she pondered, "torture huh… I can be here all night, Koba."

"Stop!" Koba cried, spitting out a few bloody teeth. Akua ignored his plea. He was lifted from the ground and pinned to the wall by a single kunai that pierced through both palms positioned over his head. Akua did nothing to muffle his shrieks; she wanted him to be heard. "I don't know shit!"

His forehead bounced off a blunt headbutt by the Anbu's mask.

"I'm—!"

He ate a fist full of pain.

"Wait—!"

His groin flattened over a knee strike.

"GAK!"

"Hurts, doesn't it? Just like what you do to those young ladies over there."

Akua slashed a kunai across his chest, tearing through his expensive clothing and splitting his skin.

"AGH!"

At that point, several of his paid mercenaries stationed outside the penthouse suite rushed through the front door. Akua glanced back at the group of armed men. Several of them were shinobi, the other few were regular thugs with weapons. The girl turned to face Koba, "Is this your last line of defense?"

"Go to hell, ye bitch!"

Kunai darted into Koba's shoes and pierced through his feet, followed by his screeches of agony. Now that he was fully pinned, Akua shifted her attention to those guardsmen charging towards her. The less experienced fighters were the first to attack despite their hesitation, but there was no hesitation on Akua's part. With her Sharingan, all she saw were threats to be eliminated, regardless of how strong their control of chakra was. "I'll bury you," the girl announced before grasping the hilt of her katana.

With the tug of her right arm and a flick of the wrist, Yosamu no Murasame was drawn and the fine cutting edge sliced open the chest of the nearest mercenary. A splatter of blood coated the floor and painted across Akua's mask as she maneuvered to the next opponent, sliding out of the way of his chop to deliver another horizontal strike. Koba watched the first felled man on the ground as he squirmed uncontrollably, screaming out in excruciating pain. A wound that size would've sent anyone into shock, yet it seemed this man was experiencing something more vicious. One by one, Koba watched the Anbu girl cut down his personnel like a butcher slicing his meat. Dancing droplets sprayed into the air as the penthouse suite was given a garnet renovation. There were men who fired automatic senbon rifles, but against this girl they were less than ineffective. The barrels were split apart and arms were chopped to the ground like slabs of butter. The enslaved women took cover behind furniture to shield themselves from the mess that unfolded before them.

With about a dozen regular mercs diced through, Akua was ready for her next challenge. To these more experienced shinobi, she was a dangerous obstacle standing in between them and the guy that signed their paychecks at the end of the week. The pointed tip of her blade kept the men at bay. When examining the floor, there were crevices that appeared to be from slash marks, even though Yosamu hadn't touched it. Such cutting ability was wildly unheard of up until now, and the slightest false movement could spell death. Doubt was setting in now after seeing their numbers literally cut in half within a few seconds. However, the lethal silence was broken. "Stop bein' a bunch uf pussies," one of the merc shinobi said, "it's just a lil' girl using some iaido technique! You boys know what ta do!"

Akua kept her sword high and tight across her body to the left side while her left hand remained at her side. She scanned the area in front of her, watching the men tip toe their way into position around her. Although Akua was able to see each and every one of them clearly, they weren't able to see the tiny smirk she made behind her mask. When the stinging sweat from Koba's forehead hit the floor through the silence, she pounced. With a thrust of the arm and another wrist flick, Yosamu escaped Akua's grasp completely, jamming itself through the chest of an unsuspecting attacker. The girl's next move was a flash. She leapt onto the collapsing man to retrieve her weapon, backflipping from his body in the next instant to slice down the torso of another. The struggle in the eyes of these mercenaries were apparent. As they all foolishly swung and missed their strikes, they realized her technique could no longer be read as iaijutsu; it was unconventional, a form of kenjutsu they'd never seen before and something in which they had absolutely no preparation. Furthermore, they weren't able to understand the mode to Akua's agility and reaction time until they witnessed the crimson glow beneath the mask for themselves. "S-She's… Uchiha..!" another mercenary muttered while his slit throat filled with blood. As the beaming rays of Akua's eyes followed the path in which she moved, it was clear to these men that they made a mistake. Each time she parried their attack while lethally striking them within the same movement proved it. Each instantaneous evasion of her part proved it. Every time someone charged they were sent back in a stream of their own blood. The hired hands suffered until the last man.

After freeing the sword from a kidney, Akua windmilled it around, stopping just a few centimeters from the face of what would have been the last victim. It was a young boy around her age if not a bit older. Both of his eyes focused of the blade that essentially split his vision. There was a line of red that cut down the middle of his face, but it wasn't of his own blood. Akua's sudden halt in her motion forced the liquid that clung to her katana onto him. After he was certain he wasn't in two halves, his attention focused on the one wielding the blade. It was the first time he'd ever seen the Sharingan in real life. "Y-You're an Uchiha…the ones that almost d-destroyed the wo-world…" he stuttered. His body was trembling. "Why did you spare me?"

Akua paused a moment before her response, relaxing herself and bringing the Katana to her side. At the same time, she examined the boy's appearance. "Because, you're the only one that's here because he has to be. Not because they wanted to be."

He gulped down.

"Get out, blondie."

"W-Wha..?"

"I said get out, before I change my mind…"

The light haired boy wasted no time, sprinting through the terrifying shrieks of the slaughtered mercenaries and vanished through the door. Akua on the other hand didn't register the sounds of their voices until now. The girl examined the gored penthouse. Bodies that were still able to move rolled around, trying to free themselves of the prolonged torture. Koba watched utterly perplexed at the scene which the bloody girl stood in the center. "Ye devil…what did ye do to 'em?!"

"Hmm..? Enemies. They were my enemies. The only option is to bury them…seems now that the poison is kicking in."

"Poison..?"

"I don't understand it completely myself, but this sword is cursed… or was cursed," Akua explained as her eyes studied the glinting silver steel of her pristine katana, "I don't hear the voices anymore." There was a pause in her speech for a moment as she tilted the blade down. "Anyone one wounded by this blade seems to experience some sort of heightened sense of pain. A meager scratch on your arm may feel like I cut the entire thing off."

Akua was now approaching Koba while the women peeked up from their cover. The gangster quivered in his pinned position but couldn't seem to get past the pain he was already experiencing to free himself. "After the wound, they usually die… but I'm not sure whether or not it's from a poison or something else. I'll figure it out eventually. All I do know is that anyone who falls to this sword has their life-force and soul siphoned away then turned into chakra for me to use."

The tip of Yosamu delivered a gentle, frosty kiss to the sweat-drenched skin at the top of Koba's throat. Akua felt the vibrations from his anxious movement through the length of the blade. "For my victims that means… they get no afterlife; death is a black nothingness."

Koba's eyelids stretched to their limits.

"Tell me," Akua questioned, adding pressure to the cutting edge against his flesh, "do you fear death?"

"Alright, alright! I'll tell ye what I kno, just leave me be after—GAH!"

The kunai pinned through his left foot was lodged farther underneath the Anbu girl's stomp, registering that cry from the man.

"J-Jurou Hideyoshi, I know him good. He's the Feudal Lord of the Grass Country, big bucks guy ye see!"

Akua's foot further grinded the blade of the knife through the bone.

"Holy FUCK! GAH! Alright, he's a big gangsta! That's how he got all this cash in his pocket. His family's been at the head of the largest organized crime network on the continent, the world maybe, for three fuckin' generations! It's how those swindlin' bastards got to be a feudal family! Been doin' business with him for about fifteen years and I tell ye, he's one greedy motherfucker!" he huffed and puffed for a while only to be stimulated yet again by the throbbing pain in his left foot. "Ye fuckin' bitch, that's all I know!"

"Fifteen years and that's all you've picked up?" Akua stomped into the kunai piercing his other foot. "Don't lie to me."

"AH! Ugh! I swear to god you're gonna regret doin' this to me one day..!"

The kunai twisted under the girl's heel.

Koba was spitting up saliva and blood from his busted lip as he tried to endure the pain. "G'damnit! I've been in touch with him recently past couple years…I helped 'em get into Chiba 'nd now his product is over there. Practically runnin' the whole city behind the scenes, just like all the other places his network hits. Then he called me up about some hit in Konoha. I didn't do much there but I heard he fucked shit up—"

Several fractures laced across Koba's cheek bone underneath the force of Akua's knuckles. His head spun around upon impact, rebounding only to be met by another violent punch. The girl was relentless with her free-hand strikes, stopping only after she couldn't recognize the beaten half of the man's face.

"Ack..! F-Fuck was t-that for?!" Moving his jaw was a source of pain for the man now. "This isn't legal..!"

"That's ironic, coming from you." Akua pulled the kunai from his hands and feet, letting him collapse into the floor red with bloodshed. "We're done here."

"W-Wait…those eyes," Koba managed to say, "Sharingan… ye could've used em to get the info you wanted if you knew I had somethin' to say from the start..! So why…"

The girl was in the middle of exiting the penthouse when Koba voiced his observation. She took a moment to look back at the man. "Had I done that from the start, it would've been too easy. I specifically wanted you to suffer because of what you are."

Akua glanced over to the women hiding behind the sofas which garnered a jolt of fright from them. When she approached, the chain links that bound their ankles together were each severed by Yosamu. These women didn't know what to think of her. After since this young girl massacred an entire group of men, they weren't wrong to keep their distance. All but one. It was the young, blue-haired woman holding out her hand just as the Uchiha freed the last woman. She could see that the female knew her bold gesture froze her. Akua's hand lifted itself but quickly pulled back, much to the displeasure of the young woman. "You're free to do whatever, authorities will be here soon," Akua said to them instead.

The once enslaved women turned their attention to Koba, who was a broken shell of a man, lying on the cold floor. One couldn't overlook the malice in their eyes as they collected whatever objects they could find to use as weapons. Trembling in fear what was bound to happen, Koba turned his attention to the girl approaching the penthouse's exit. "H-Hey! Ye said y-ye were gonna leave me be!"

Akua stopped again to address him, "You're right. I'm not doing a thing to you anymore… but no one said anything about those lovely ladies there."

* * *

Koba's cries of pain and pity were heard throughout the hallway and for two floors just underneath the penthouse suite. Perhaps just in time, Akua's squadmates arrived while her katana was sheathed. The noise was the first thing noticed, since they heard it as they drew closer to its source. The second thing they noticed were the crimson tracks that Akua's footwear left as they caught her in the hall. "Kuro… what the hell happened? You're a bloody mess!"

"Completed the mission."

"I think she more than completed this mission…" Tōzin mentioned as he peeked in on Koba's continued torture amongst the slaughtered corpses. "God damn… this is terrible."

Hishiro marched over to take a look into the room, only to be disgusted by what he saw, throwing himself back out. "What did you do in here?!"

"Defended myself."

"And you call this defense? I call it a massacre; completely unnecessary! Don't you know a thing about mercy?"

"I do, but I have little. Maybe if you didn't take your time getting here, I wouldn't have had to fend them all off myself."

Hishiro began a response but immediately stopped himself.

"Can't blame her for doing her job," the other Anbu said.

"Whatever. Did you get the information we needed at least?"

Akua nodded. "More than expected, actually. We can debrief later. We need to go before the Tanzaku police get here."

"Hmph. Fine, let's go."

* * *

The group was caught up to speed with the situation as they returned to Konohagakure. Akua relayed the information discovered and compiled it into a single report that she and the two others were to present before the Seventh Hokage himself. The following afternoon marked the time when this would take place. The three Anbu knelt down in front of Naruto's desk as he meticulously examined the notes put together for him. "Hmm… I see…" the Hokage said, "who retrieved this information?"

"It was Kuro, sir," Hishiro answered.

"Kuro?"

Akua raised her hand, "Me, Lord Seventh."

"Ah, I keep forgetting the codenames, my bad ya know, hehe." Naruto placed the report down and focused his attention upon the girl. "I want you to take some time off," he added.

Akua's eyes snapped open in reaction to his words followed by lifting her vision from the ground to view the Hokage's serious face. "But why? I've done every task that you've assigned without failure…"

"And that's exactly why I want you to take a break. You've been working hard lately and I've noticed it myself; how much you've done in such a short period of time. Now it's time to take a break and relax; it'll be good for you."

"Lord Seventh—"

"Think of it like a mission," he interrupted her, "I'll summon you once we've further looked into Chiba, but for now I want you to rest, alright?"

"Yes sir," Akua complied.

Akua exited the office after the meeting was over, following behind her two partners and closing the door. She watched Hishiro and Tōzin walk down the hall to the left for a moment, then decided to go in the opposite direction. The path led her toward the eastern wing of the mansion where regular forces shinobi received their missions. Coincidentally, the Uchiha passed the room Team Moegi, consisting of Shikadai, Inojin and Chōchō, were being debriefed in. Chōchō caught a glimpse of Akua's eyes through the mask as the Anbu walked by, causing her to sweat and hold her stomach in panic. Akua didn't see it, but the young genin relaxed herself when she disappeared beyond the doorway.

Underneath the eastern wing of the Hokage's residence was one of the secret entrances to the Anbu Black Ops headquarters. It was a simple latch in the ground that descended into a spiral staircase, with Akua practically vanishing into darkness when she entered. After a few steady steps, the first fragments of light began to reveal itself, originating from a lantern built into the stone walls. At the end of that flight of stairs was a straight hallway filled with single person dorm rooms used by organization members if they didn't feel like taking the trip home. Although the girl had no intention of staying the night, her initial destination was through this area.

Akua's steps could be heard from the end of the hall the moment she entered. The bottoms of her spiked sandals clicked against the solid stone floor with a steady, slow-paced stride. It was a sound unique to the girl, and each time the Anbu heard her pass through, they would stop their immediate actions in order to observe. Heads poked out of their rooms, individuals in the hall facing the other way turned around and conversations quickly shifted topic. No one could ignore the hostile aura the girl emanated while they were in her presence, and everyone remained on guard at all times as if ready to defend themselves in case she lashed out for whatever reason. "Why's it so quiet now? Who's that?" someone whispered.

"That's the new Uchiha girl, Kuro I think they call 'er."

Akua wasn't trying to listen in, but their gossip always seemed to catch her ear, and it eventually became custom for her whenever she walked by.

"You seen that girl over there?" someone else said as she passed, "heard she socked Rumi in the nose a while ago. Had to reconstruct it."

"Really, hehe, must've been a shiner then."

Now another conversation surfaced. "Look, it's Kuroshin. You ever seen her fight? She's pretty good, dontcha think?"

"Gosh," a female voice muttered, " _she_ gives me the chills… and I've seen a lot…"

"There's so much blood on her uniform… what the fuck'd she do?"

"What'd you expect? She's an Uchiha."

"That'll be a bitch to wash."

Even further down the hall, "Have you ever spoken to her before?"

"Nah, haven't even heard her sneeze. Convinced she can't make sounds at all, much less talk."

"Hey, check it, it's the girl that's always got her mask on."

"Shh… shut up will ya? She'll hear you."

There was another conversation about a similar topic. "Ay, you ever seen her face?"

"Nope. She never takes that mask off. You think she's cute?"

"Go take the mask off and find out."

"You kiddin'? Not trying to die today."

As usual, Akua payed very little attention to those Anbu around her. She wasn't phased by their whispers, nor did she mind that anyone who happened to stand in her way quickly moved themselves. The Uchiha remained on the straight path through the hall, never diverting her gaze or turning to look at others; her head was fixated on her direction. Eventually, she arrived at the desired location, stepping into the lounge quarters where Sai was located. Akua placed a document on the table, which drew Sai's attention, then turned to exit before she was stopped. "Hey," Sai called to her, "what's this for?"

"It's a copy of my mission report from the Seventh. I was told to deliver it on the way home. He wants you to further look into what I discovered."

"Oh… that's odd," Sai rubbed his chin, "wouldn't you be the one following up with it?"

Akua looked away, "He wants me to take… a break."

Sai noticed the cringe in Akua's back as she spoke those words. "Haha I see, well, you take your time then. I'll take this off your hands for now."

"Alright, I'll be taking my… break, now," the girl sighed before stepping out of the room with Sai waving her off.

* * *

After navigating a network of tunnels underneath the ground that connected to another part of the headquarters, Akua resurfaced at the exit nearest to her home. It was the same place in the Sumida district that Hishiro had taken her when she was first introduced to the organization. She still had a ways to go before she could consider herself at home. The rest of the trip was traveled on foot. Using the train was hardly ever an option for her anymore, especially with her new duties and the fact that she was drenched in blood. Akua normally took the Anbu's policy of secrecy and covertness to the extreme, opting to move through the shadows and avoiding any sort unnecessary of human contact while she was within her uniform.

As Akua travelled further away from the entrance, it's rural location quickly vanished into the calm suburbs, then transformed into the downtown area of Sumida. This urban center directly bordered the district the Akua now took residence in. Located just to the south of Sumida, was the district of Shibuya. Perhaps even more lively and hectic than Sumida, Shibuya was the jewel of urban nightlife in lower konoha. Flashing lights and skyscrapers defined much if not all of the area. Teenagers and young adults were always present in the packed streets. Every main road had two-laned tracks for the trains that zoomed down their centers. It was one of the only districts in Konoha where the trains ran 24/7 because the district itself never slept. Whatever time of day it was in Shibuya, there was always something to do. It ranked as the second most populous lower district after Meguro, Akua's former district of residence. It was ironic that a girl who began to value human interaction less and less chose such a robust area to live in. The answer to that was simple. Shibuya was the farthest district away from Meguro with housing that she liked and could afford, for it was located on the very eastern end vs Meguro's western end. Akua refused to remain anywhere near that area. She felt the events of that night, and every calamity that followed it would forever haunt her if she stayed.

Akua's new residence was within a high-rise apartment building called Grand Park, which was on the edge of central Shibuya. To the south of the building was the Naka river that almost bisected the district as it ran through the rest of Konoha and to the east was the Ebisu station. The building itself was fourteen floors in total, including the first floor lobby area. There was hardly a time when the receptionist saw Akua pass through the lobby to use the elevator since the first time the woman saw her, and that was when she inquired about the real estate. Today was no different. Akua scaled the side of the building on foot to the tenth floor where her apartment was located, and hoisted herself over the ledge onto the walkway. At that point she began to walk exceptionally slow, trying to remember which apartment was her own.

 _It should be this one_ … she thought to herself. Akua read the labeling on the door: 10-A. She withdrew her ID card for the scanner built into the door handle and heard the tumblers unlock. Akua's grasp tightened over the handle, reluctant to enter the building. _I haven't been here since I rented this place_ , the girl realized. Nevertheless, she held her breath and opened the door.

There was a tiny squeak as the door turned on its hinges, opening into the apartment. Akua waited and listened as if she was expecting something, but there was nothing; just a dead silence. Her head sank as she entered, and the mask was removed from her face. To her immediate right was the switch that illuminated the hall that extended from left. Akua narrowed her eyes to shield them from the sudden intensity of the light that shined against her skin. The girl proceeded a few steps down the hall after removing her sandals and entered the bathroom to her right, which was also where the washing machine was located. This particular area had the sink and unit bathtub separated by a sliding door—the toilet in a small room across the hall.

Akua slid the door to the unit open and turned on the water. While the bath was being drawn, she stepped back into the vanity area and removed her blood stained Anbu uniform after placing the mask on the counter around the sink. The black clothing was tossed in the washing machine for a heavy, hour-long cleansing cycle, leaving the rest of her garments for the second wash. The clothing was replaced by a white towel that she wrapped around herself. Akua dragged herself into the bath area to watch the water fill the tub. The splashing and popping of air bubbles were the only things she could think about as she stared down the waterflow. Quickly getting bored, the Uchiha girl sighed and sat against the edge facing the door with her chin in her palm. There wasn't a clue in her mind as to what she would be doing with her new found time. Just as her senses were dulling to laziness, there was a buzzing in the sink room. On the floor within one of her utility pouches was her cellphone. She retrieved it, only to let the phone ring after reading the caller ID: Mirai.

The device vibrated in Akua's hand with her thumb hovering over the option to answer, but she failed to do so. Thus, her expression of surprise descended into a small frown as another call was missed. A half hour later found the cell phone ringing once more. Mirai was trying again to contact her to no avail. Akua simply put the phone to the side and let it ring while she sank into the cool water of her tub. The girl hugged her knees into her chest while her forehead tilted down and rested upon them. The phone would ring a third consecutive time before the attempts to call ceased for the night. Each time Akua let the call drop, there was a deepening sense of emptiness that followed. There was also the clenching of her teeth. Was she angry at herself, or Mirai? There was no clear cut answer to that question.

Any blood from her violent combat that was able to seep through Akua's uniform was now diluted within the tub, slightly tinting the water with faint red. This made Akua lift herself and allow the liquid to be drained away. As this happened, she took a shower to rinse herself and wash any gunk caught in her shoulder blade length hair; it was the longest she'd ever worn it. There was a ding coming from the other room as she stepped out; the wash cycle was complete. _Really? Was I really in there that long..?_

 _ **Of course you were.**_

Akua's head snapped around to the tub in search of the source of the voice, yet there was no one present around her, or anywhere in the apartment that she could sense. When she turned back around, the katana that was propped up against the wall caught her gaze. In the end, she paid little attention to the voice and continued her laundry. The second small batch was in the wash and the first in the dryer. The white towel she had on before was wrapped around her body before Akua took the mask and sword with her out of the bath area and further down the hall. There was only one other door in the hall which was to the right, leading into the living/dining area. When she opened the door, her mask and sword fell to the ground. There, sitting in one of her couches, was someone she thought would be impossible to perceive outside of her psyche.

" **Yo."**

"What the hell are you doing here."

" **When was the last time you took your medicine, Akua?"**

The girl didn't have an answer, or really, she didn't want to think about an answer until the memory finally sprung itself inside of her head. Akua turned her head away from the ungodly entity. "…Don't answer my question with a question."

Blackheart sighed, " **My, you're no fun, are you?"**

Akua knelt down to retrieve her belongings, then faced the being again, raising a stern eyebrow.

" **You were acting like some lonely old lady, so I decided to keep you company. You can't toss me away as easily as you do to everyone else."**

"Tsk… lonely…" Akua paused, "…I don't need anyone. Go away."

" **Amazing. I've never met a liar as good as you in my thousand years."**

"Shut up!"

" **Woah woah, relax… I'm joking…"** Blackheart grinned.

Akua's outburst began to subside as she regulated her breathing. The grip against the objects in her hands loosened, and her muscles relaxed.

" **Look, I'm here because you subconsciously summoned me, that's all. You're the only one who can see me though, so if you are around anyone, just make sure you don't look like you're talking to yourself, haha!"**

"Whatever," Akua muttered, turning to the left and walking towards her room.

" **Hm… on second thought, you'd be doing that either way… we're one in the same now, aren't we?"** Blackheart poked at.

"I could care less," the Uchiha responded before slamming the door to her room shut behind her.

* * *

Akua's bedroom was one of two multipurpose rooms that her apartment possessed. The other room, which was on the other side of the building, was still empty, as she hadn't found a use for it yet. Her room, however, was simply furnished. As one would walk into the rectangular shaped room, they would find a bare desk to the right and the sliding window panes to the balcony along the wall. Akua's eyes carried themselves around the room, eying the empty walls, and a dresser with practically no personal care objects on it. To the left was the wide closet nearly void of any clothing and next to it, her bed. The girl had yet to replace the possessions and clothing she lost in the flames of that dreadful night. Despite her bedroom being so bleak and dismal like the rest of the home, it was welcoming to her. She felt attached.

With no television or other forms of entertainment within her household, sinking into her mattress after getting dressed in a pair of thin shorts and a shirt was all Akua could seem to do. The positioning of her bed provided her with the ability to see beyond the balcony. Perhaps one of the last few things the Uchiha admired was there in front of her, the beauty of the city at night. Had she went out to gaze, the perfect view of Konoha would have been offered to her. Now, she realized why the Seventh insisted on her taking time off. For the first time in weeks, Akua was remotely beginning to remember what it was like to feel comfortable. Just as her eyelids began to close, she was wrenched from potential slumber. Her stomach growled. "Ugh."

It was a disappointing trip to the kitchen when Akua found the refrigerator absent of food supplies. There also were no snacks, pots, pans, plates, utensils or cups to use. Such a lack of utilities in her new home brought Akua to wonder how she managed to survive for so long. Something needed to be done about this, or she would starve that night. Even though there was no chance of it being possible, Akua felt these discoveries were apart of the Seventh's mandatory vacation plan for her.

The fridge door was shut, but Akua's grasp remained on the handle. There was a tingling feeling down her spine. Her eyes darted to the side and her ears honed in on faint sounds. The washing machine and drying clamored amongst them all but, with enough focus, the girl was able to hear something else, footsteps and ruffling of the sorts. Her steady movement in turning around lead to a quick spin when she witnessed something zoom across the living area and into her bedroom. Akua dashed to follow it. In the split second that this happened, the Uchiha sensed a tiny reading of chakra. Someone was trespassing, and it wasn't taken kindly.

When Akua bolted into her room, she noticed her mask was gone. The next image she viewed was of the perpetrator with the mask in their possession as they leapt from her balcony. _That piece of shit..! I'll kill you!_ Without a moment's notice or second thought, Akua picked up Yosamu and was descending ten stories in mid air. The Sharingan instinctively activated. Now the girl was locked on to her target. Enhanced vision allowed the Uchiha to predict where the thief would end up after the drop which allowed her to perfectly calculate her trajectory. Thus, when Akua launched herself from the balcony, she aimed for the lower roof of a nearby building.

As expected, the individual who snatched Akua's mask connected against the edge of a lower balcony, then launched herself at a more comfortable angle of descend towards the roof of the building across the street. However the moment this person landed, weight fell down upon their back, throwing them off their feet. The individual crashed against the rooftop surface, turned to look for Akua, but saw no one. They were looking in the wrong direction. The Uchiha was pouncing down upon them from the air with the glinting steel of Yosamu's tip underneath the moonlight ready to split them open. "Wait, wait, wait..!" the thief cried with their hands held out, and eyes clenched.

Akua was able to stop herself just in time when she heard the young, feminine voice. She was already mounted against the individual with Yosamu's blade a few inches from skewering their throat. Now the thief's appearance was in full view. _A girl..?_ Akua thought, entirely perplexed. Indeed, it was a teenaged girl that sported straight silver hair, cut short to the end of her neck. The mysterious girl steadily let one of her eyelids open after she felt the situation had calmed, revealing one of two sparkling blue eyes.

"Phew! I'm still alive! Looks like it worked," she said to herself.

"Wha… what the?"

"Heyo," greeted the silver haired girl.

 **A/N: That concludes chapter 18. Quite a surprise, who could this mysterious thief be? This is only the beginning of a crazy night.**

 **With school and sports starting up again, just know that I will be quite occupied until I figure out how to manage my workload. My regular two week update will be reinstated however, so expect another chapter within that time. Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Fav/Follow/Review!**


	19. A Night in Shibuya 2

**Hello everyone! I've returned at last from my very long and unexpected hiatus. First I want to just apologize for not staying true to my word and updating every two weeks. I'm a senior in high school right now and the school year hit pretty hard in August/September. Ever since then I just hadn't found the time to keep up with my writing. College applications, grades and football were getting in the way of giving you guys the new content that you all deserve. But throughout the time I was gone I've been working on this chapter and have been planning out where I would be going with the story. I never forgot about you guys and Akua. I read all of your reviews and notifications and they've kept me going. Once again I apologize for the wait. I'll say some more at the end because I'm sure you want to get right to the chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Ch 19**

 **A Night in Shibuya 2**

A refreshing breeze carried through Shibuya that night. The strands of Akua's hair danced gracefully in its current while she sat mounted against the girl underneath her. Staring down into her face, she noticed the girl's sparkling blue eyes and moonlit silver bangs. At the same time, Yosamu was ready to split her throat open. It was quite the awkward position for this mysterious person but she didn't seem to understand the seriousness of the situation or perhaps didn't care to acknowledge it. The grin on her face would've supported either conclusion. On the other hand, Akua was puzzled as to why she stopped herself from finishing her attack. There was no obligation or reason to listen to the thief. It was at that moment when the female held Akua's mask out towards her.

"Here ya go."

"Huh..?" Akua raised an eyebrow.

"Take it, you can have it back."

"Is this because your stupid attempt has been foiled, and you don't want me to kill you..?"

"Of course not! Ya didn't 'foil' my attempt, did what I wanted you to do."

"And what exactly was that?"

The silver haired girl steadily propped the mask onto Akua's face, careful not to make the sudden move that would be the end of her life. "Damn, your mask is pretty cool to be honest, looks cute on ya too."

Akua's expression twisted into irritation underneath the porcelain guise. "Didn't answer my question…"

"Oh yea, I took it cuz I figured you'd come out 'nd chase me," the girl said. She pressed her finger against the flat of Akua's blade, attempting to nudge it a safe distance away. "Didn't expect you to do this though. I should've known better, but you're hardcore… fuckin' love it!"

Akua allowed the girl to move the katana out of the way before taking it upon herself to sheath the weapon and remove the mask from her face. "That suppose to be a compliment?"

"Course it is."

"What's the point of this? It all seems like nonsense," the Uchiha said, growing impatient.

"I just wanted to officially meet you is all." The girl held her fist out. "Name's Reiko."

There was an awkward moment of silence while Reiko was left hanging. She expected getting through to the Uchiha would be difficult, so she released her fingers and pulled back without hesitation. Akua decided to stand up afterwards, peering down at the girl cloaked in black laid out against the roof.

"We're done here," Akua finally said, turning around towards her apartment building.

"Wait a sec, now that I've got you out here, ya might as well hear me out," suggested Reiko as she brought herself to her feet.

Akua stopped in her tracks.

"I've heard a bit about you," Reiko continued, "plus I found out you were on leave, so it's not like ya got anything better to do, do ya?"

The Uchiha turned back and grunted, "How do you know that… what'd you hear about me?"

"Just some basic stuff. New to the Anbu, and also an Uchiha. Never seen the Sharingan in person before," Reiko added.

"That why you're interested?"

"No that's not the real reason. Based on the info I got, you sounded like ya needed a bud, so I said hey why not. I think we'll be able to understand each other. It's Kuroshin, right?"

"Akua," she corrected.

"Oh ya! I knew that..! Just slipped my mind for a bit," Reiko grinned.

"And what makes you think _you_ of all people would be able to understand me? You don't know a thing, what I've done, what I've been through. I don't need a bu—"

Akua's stomach roared, forcing her to clench it in red-faced embarrassment.

"Haha! Let's just say we have a lot more in common than you think."

"Tsk! You're wasting your time," Akua turned her back again, hunching over a gnawing stomach.

"If I was wasting my time, would you still be here talking to me?"

Akua paused once more and released a sigh of resignation, glancing over her shoulder to capture Reiko's image. The silver haired girl was meticulously examined from head to toe. Then their gazes met. For a moment, both stood in silence.

"You can see it, with your eyes I mean, don't ya? There's some truth in my words."

Akua relaxed the grip on her weapon and deactivated her Sharingan. "You said you wanted me to chase you. For..?"

"When I was rummagin' through your house I noticed how empty it is, so we're gonna make a hit on the town 'nd fill it up!"

"…Hit on the town..?"

"Yea! Come on!"

* * *

Before Akua was dragged out into the depths of Shibuya, she insisted on putting Yosamu away and changing into something more suitable than sleeping garments. Reiko waited patiently outside for the Uchiha to return. "Good choice," she complimented as Akua stepped out of her apartment dressed in a pair of black shorts and a dark colored shirt. "They'll have a hard time spotting you in that."

"Who is they?" Akua shot back.

"The people we're uh…gonna borrow from," Reiko smiled.

The night was still young when the two young females disappeared into it, lost among the shadows that Shibuya's vibrant lights failed to illuminate. Running alongside her, Akua could tell that this girl was a shinobi of some sort. Regardless of whether or not Akua knew her name, the girl was still a stranger, and the fact that she would want to spend time with her was baffling. Still, Akua played along in hopes that all would be revealed in time.

The two stopped atop the roof of an eight-story apartment building after Reiko landed and perched herself against its ledge. It appeared to Akua that Reiko was surveying the area for whatever reason. Thus, she took the idle time she was provided to glance at the district beneath her as well. It was then that Akua realized she had underestimated Shibuya. From her birdseye view, hundreds of people inhabited the streets at a time. Individuals moved in and out of local bullet trains that circulated the district in nonstop rotation. Restaurants, bars and nightclubs riddled the blocks they resided upon and many more along the stretch of the road. Each and every one of them were filled to the brim and ready to burst from what Akua could see through their windows. However, what truly gave Shibuya its life was the collective sound of the population's speech and activity melding together like an urban symphony. Akua's eyes widened, lost in the lights that reflected in a gloss of violet. "Amazing, isn't it?"

Reiko's words snapped Akua back to reality. "Y-Yea."

"You know," Reiko began as she relaxed, seating herself upon the ledge, "when I first heard about you 'nd what happened to you, I didn't think you'd be the type of person to move into a place like this." The girl's lips curled into another small grin. "But now that I look at it, it makes sense why you did."

Akua's attention shifted from the city below to the one sitting at her side. She narrowed her eyes at Reiko's speculation. "It makes sense?"

"Mhm," Reiko replied, "You're trying to escape. This place is on the complete opposite end of Konoha compared to where that explosion happened."

The air vacated Akua's lungs.

"More importantly, in Shibuya… it's easy to get lost 'nd forget about your troubles, forget about your past. At least for me, that's what I figured my reason to be."

"You live out here…by yourself then?" Akua asked.

"Yea, been here since I was eight so 'bout seven years now 'rso. Hasn't felt that long though." Reiko was still gazing down into the crowd, wind weaving through the silky strands of her hair. "Can't say I've had it as bad as you but, like I said before, I understand what you might be going through. I know what it's like to be alone, and I'm not fond of it."

Akua began to relax herself while the girl spoke, tuning into what she had to say.

"When I saw you on TV awhile back I figured you were going down a similar path, so I figured I'd come find ya, ykno. People like us gotta stick together." Reiko turned and raised her fist again. Akua glanced at it for a moment then back at its owner. "Not yet, huh? No worries, we'll get there soon enough!"

Akua hesitated with the movement of her arm and sighed. "You don't get it, do you?"

"What d'you mean?"

"Nothing. Let's just get whatever this is over and done with," the Uchiha grumpled.

"…Alright," Reiko puffed, "we should eat first."

Reiko pushed herself from the ledge and plummeted into the commotion of the streets. Before arriving on the ground, she landed upon one of the many neon signs that protruded from the sides of buildings. Akua peeked over the ledge to find the girl gesturing her to follow.

* * *

The two found themselves in a dwarf of a building compared to the others on this side of town. It was on request of Akua who didn't feel comfortable with entering one of the more crowded areas. Thus, the location was decided. Their dinner would be in one of Reiko's favorite sushi restaurants, Ao-Shōga. The dark, pebble patterned floors and vibrant, azure atmosphere made one feel as if they'd traveled into the pristine waters of the ocean. Intricate paintings colored the pale white walls with designs of coral reefs and a rainbow of aquatic life. There was glass screening along walls with an endless array of bubbles floating up to the ceiling. Dark mahogany tables and chairs decorated the dining area, adorned with sets of spotless steel chopsticks; one for each available seat. In the back, just before the entrance to the kitchen, was a bar with an extensive assortment of liquors as well as a sushi chef station for those who sat there. Akua couldn't help but feel calmed by the traditional music playing in the background. "Wow…" Akua mouthed.

"I take it you've never been here," Reiko concluded with her wide smile.

Akua shook her head. "I don't believe I've ever had sushi before eith—"

"WHAT? NEVER HAD—" Reiko cut herself off mid sentence and dragged Akua along by her hand.

As Reiko approached the front counter, she was greeted with a wave until the manager realized that it was her. The displeasure expressed on the woman's face was anything but welcoming. "Y-You..! What're you doin' here you damn devil child!" the woman yelled, extending her pointer finger towards the silver haired girl.

"Relax, relax, Mia-san! I'm here with my friend," Reiko replied, surrendering to the woman's violent acknowledgement.

"Oh really? She gonna skip her bill too?!"

"Not at all! I'm paying this time don't worry!"

Mia grunted.

"Table for two, this one might die if I don't get somethin' in her belly now."

Akua glared in Reiko's direction, only to be met by the same wide smile.

"I've got my eye on you…" the woman warned before gathering a pair of menus and escorting them to their table.

The restaurant was moderately filled with only about a dozen people dining in at that time with the occasional person coming in to pick up an order. Akua and Reiko were seated at a table in the corner of the restaurant. A few meters away sat Mia, who was still at the front counter. The seating she provided them gave her an optimal view of Reiko, who she thought of as a simple ruffian. "I don't think she likes you," Akua mentioned, glancing at the woman and back. The Uchiha sat with perfect posture against the chair, hands resting in her lap.

"No way, she's just puttin' on a front," Reiko responded, skimming the menu.

Akua had yet to touch anything on the table. Her eyes drifted from Reiko, down to her plate, to the closed menu in front of her, and then her lap. Aside from when she spoke, Akua's mouth rested shut in her default, blank expression. Within the next few minutes, a waitress approached their table.

"Welcome to Ao-Shōga, I'll be your server tonight. What can I get for you ladies?"

"A salmon roll entree will do for me, oh, and some extra rice on the side," Reiko winked.

"C-Certainly," the waitress complied, amused by the girl's gesture, "and what about you, ma'am?"

"I don't know," Akua mumbled.

Reiko's expression twisted in fret. "You haven't even opened your menu…"

The dark haired girl sat in silence.

"Scratch the salmon roll," Reiko retracted, "we'll take the full house special."

The waitress scribbled on her note pad. "Are you sure? That meal choice is meant for four people…"

"Yea, yea, we'll finish it."

"Very well, I'll be right—oh, how silly of me, I forgot to take drink orders. It's my first day…"

"No worries, two waters'll do."

"Okay! I'll be right back!"

The waitress scampered off into the kitchen and returned moments later with their beverages and two complimentary bowls of miso soup. Reiko dug in the second hers was placed on the table. Akua on the other hand let the stream rise. "Gonna get cold if ya don't drink it," Reiko pointed out in between her gulps. She giggled as Akua's stomach growled again.

At last, the Uchiha gave in to her hunger. Upset at herself for succumbing to what she thought was a petty need, Akua pulled the bowl closer and began to take the first sips. Reiko couldn't help but flash her smile, satisfied that the troubled girl was beginning to loosen up. Just as Akua finished with her soup, the waitress returned with their order. Upon the tray she carried were three bowls of rice—the third being the extra Reiko ordered—two salads, and a large plate that look as if it was filled to the brim with some sort meat. Even though Reiko already knew what was coming, neither she nor Akua were able to see the beauty of the dish until it rested upon their table. "Here's your order," the waitress chirped, unloading the tray one by one, "enjoy!"

There was a smirk etched into Reiko's expression as Akua's gaze fell on the platter of assorted fish. In the center it were two of every type of maki roll offered by the restaurant, ranging from the popular spicy salmon roll to the tuna roll and everything in between. Decorating one side were thin slices of salmon, tuna, eel and other cuts each resting upon a bed of rice. The other side possessed similar cuts without the rice underneath; sashimi. These cuts rested over a layer of lettuce. In total, there were sixteen maki rolls, eight sushi cuts, and eight sashimi cuts. Finally, at the top of the plate was a dollop of freshly ground wasabi next to sliced ginger. It was all new to Akua and her mouth hung open as she stared. "Go on," Reiko insisted, "my treat."

"I can't…" Akua refused, gulping down her appetite.

"Yea ya can!"

And with that exclamation, Reiko snatched up one of the salmon rolls with her chopsticks and forced it into Akua's parted mouth, successfully startling the girl. Akua mumbled with the chopsticks in her mouth until they were removed and she began to chew. "Well, how is it," Reiko asked, eager for her response.

Akua swallowed the roll. "…It's... it's good…really, really good…"

* * *

The entire meal was finished in less than half an hour with Akua devouring about 20 of the 32 pieces of sushi. The feat surprised even Reiko who was barely able to finish the rest of them. Now they roamed the busy streets of Shibuya, electing to walk instead of run. The food needed time to digest. "You know, you didn't have to pay for the entire thing," Akua commented.

"Heh, I know, but I dragged ya out here didn't I?" Reiko reminded her. "Besides, seeing ya gobble all that up was definitely worth it."

"Here," Akua insisted, holding out eight one-hundred ryo bills. "It was kind of you but, I need to go now."

"We haven't even gotten your stuff yet," Reiko reminded her.

"I'll do it another time it's just—"

Reiko paid little attention to her words. Instead of taking her money, she took Akua by the wrist and pulled her towards their next destination. While the Uchiha stumbled along, she noticed something in Reiko's other hand. "What's that?"

"Oh, this?" Reiko remembered the bottle she carried in her left hand. "It's Kumo white-wine, the gooood stuff."

"You…stole alcohol..?"

Reiko looked over her shoulder with a grin, "I didn't steal it, I'm just borrowin' it! I'm sure Mia-san won't be too upset, I paid the bill this time."

Akua rolled her eyes and let herself be carried. In her mind she was certain that she wanted to go her own separate way, but for whatever reason, she lingered. Akua couldn't figure out what was keeping her there. There was something strange about this girl that sparked curiosity. As they ran, Akua observed as Reiko tucked the bottle into a pouch on her side that was hidden by her billowing cloak.

* * *

The manager of one of the largest retail stores in the district sat idle behind his desk in the back office before deciding to refill his cup of coffee. He first made sure that the daily revenue was counted, but not without editing the numbers and confiscating some for his own pocket. He was a rather heavy set individual with a stomach fit for one with a materialistic gluttony such as himself. There was also a bushel of brown hair lining his jaw that made up for what he lacked on his scalp. The chair creaked, releasing a sigh of relief when he stood up and exited the room. It was nearing the 10 p.m. closing time and customers were rushed into making their final purchases. The man hobbled around through the aisles with his cup in hand after filling it to the brim. Then there was a crash. One of the clothing racks in the distance toppled over. The man's head snapped to the left the moment the sound caught his ears. _What in the world_ , he thought to himself. When he turned to continue forward, his momentum betrayed him. Colliding into him as it passed, a figured zoomed across his face. The cup was dislodged from his hand and the blistering hot beverage splattered onto his white collared shirt. "GAH," he wailed, falling against his tailbone. The heated liquid sank into his skin. Moments later, one of the store security guards ran by, noticing his boss in agony on the ground.

"Mr. Jun! Are you alright, sir?"

"Do I fucking look like I'm alright? What in blazes was that?!"

"S-someone or… s-something… they're raiding the store," he stammered, trying to speak quickly so that he could go on to apprehend the culprit.

"Raiding…it's her..! Call up Hōjō-sama," Mr. Jun barked, lifting himself from the ground. "Now!"

Reiko, with a sack of items she'd collected, bolted through the aisles of the store and bulldozed through the front glass doors. Following behind her were the security guards, however most were not shinobi and easily outpaced. Reiko had already pounced to the roof of the building across the street while they got lost in the crowd. Leaping over a narrow alley way, the silver haired girl was out of sight again, approaching another dressed in black. "Should've came in with me," she panted, "would've been way more fun."

"Why did you do that?!" Akua scolded.

"Talk later, let's go, before they catch up," Reiko coaxed, tugging Akua's clothing with her free hand.

"No," she said, brushing Reiko's hand away. "You've filled my apartment with so much crap already…"

"These are just s'more clothes, some pots and pans, trust me, this is okay, those people deserve it."

"Why? Why is that?"

"You live in Shibuya long enough, ya learn it ain't so cut'n'dry here," Reiko answered with haste, "that store and all the others we hit are owned by some gangster up'n North Konoha. He blackmails consumers into buying his product, runs competitors out of business, and smuggles contraband in'n'out of the city."

Akua's teeth gritted at the word gangster and her eye twitched from Reiko's explanation. The logic burned to her core because it was something she probably would've done had she known. "Tsk..! Whatever! None of this makes any sense," Akua ranted, "Who are you? Why are you doing this? Who sent you?"

"Who sent me..? No one sent m—"

Akua tilted her head, "You think I'm stupid, hm? You think I wouldn't notice?" The Uchiha approached Reiko and pushed the right side of her cloak behind her back. There on her revealed upper arm were faint traces of the same insignia that was tattooed on Akua's own right arm, and in the same exact spot. Reiko took a step back after catching a glimpse of her own shoulder, fathoming what the special tattoo might entail.

"Look, I'm not here on some mission if that's what you thin—"

"I don't care."

"Akua… I'm…I'm just tired of being alone okay?" Reiko's arms dropped and dangled by her side. The sack of wares she collected slipped through her fingers, plopping on the ground near her feet. "I don't really know as much about you as I said before but…when I heard about you the first time, somehow I was reminded of myself."

Akua narrowed her eyes.

"I know that you lost your mother that day," Reiko muttered, noticing Akua's shock. "I never met mine. She…I… killed her in childbirth. Then my father brought me here from the Hotsprings country as a toddler when he found out. Probably the single most righteous thing he'd ever done for me. After that…I was practically ignored because of his work." Reiko lowered her head, nails digging into her palms as her fists clenched. "I was a blemish to his image, so to keep me an enigma, he handed me over to the Anbu. And for years I…I…" she choked up, cutting that part of her explanation short. "When I got fed up…I fell off the face of the earth, just like he wanted," Reiko grinned, "ended up here in Shibuya, away from it all."

The Uchiha's tension alleviated, a reaction to the story she was being told. The emotion that poured from Reiko's words soothed Akua's demeanor, relaxing her muscles and even her stone cold glare. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that the girl in front of her wasn't telling the truth. "Reiko I'm… I'm sorry…"

"There's no need," she chuckled, "I'm just some bastard child."

There were no words between them for what seemed like an eternity, just brief glances.

"You know," Reiko continued, "I've never really had any friends. I was surrounded by people way older than me for as long as I could remember… and they never cared for some kid. I wasn't sure how to approach people so I thought doing this for you would work but…—"

"I can't be your friend. It's not you it's… I'm not even my own friend," Akua explained, "I'd just cause you pain in the end. I don't deserve anything."

"But why do you feel like that? You don't have to…"

"Because…you can't befriend ghosts," Akua concluded, turning her back to the girl who stood before her.

Reiko stood paralyzed by the Uchiha's statement. It was nonsense. She wasn't a ghost. Akua was standing right before her, living, breathing flesh. She spoke and ate like a real person. Nothing was passing through her body. So why? She caught herself trying to reach out, place a hand on Akua's shoulder just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. In the end she refrained from doing so. Reiko knew what she saw, knew that Akua was alive. Instead, she turned her own back. "I see…I'll leave you alone then…" Reiko waited for a response but received nothing. "Did you want help with returning that stuff in the apartment?"

"I'll do it myself," Akua replied, taking steps towards the edge of the roof.

"Your apartment is that way," Reiko pointed.

"I know, I'm just gonna take a walk, gather myself for a bit."

"…Alrig—"

Before Reiko could finish, Akua vanished as if she had drifted away with the wind. Taking her leave after staying a few moments longer, Reiko decided she would get a head start on returning the items she'd stolen; if only she'd gotten there.

* * *

Akua sifted amongst a sea of people, letting the current whisk her away. She seldom watched where she was going; her eyes were positioned towards her feet as she walked hands in pockets. Of course this meant every once in awhile she would bump into other individuals: men, women, children and others near her age. However, when one elected to confront her about it, they were met with a frigid, violet stare. They didn't want to make a mistake that they would regret.

The night's events were playing through Akua's mind again from the moment Reiko stole her mask. She'd be lying to herself if Akua said that she hadn't enjoyed her company. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time that she'd had that much fun; not since before her mother died. Reiko showed her that it was possible to enjoy life even if you were hurting inside. Moreover, Reiko was right. She had a lot in common with her. They lived similar lives: born as illegitimate children in foreign lands and having to go through rigorous training at a young age. Both girls had lost their mothers in some way and had nonexistent relationships with their fathers. There was still much that Akua didn't know about her. Perhaps a friendship could have flourished between them after all, but it was too late for that now. Akua possessed a dormant, self-destructive state of mind that she believed was incompatible with any sort of deep relationship. She'd gotten use to shutting people away and felt comfortable amongst the Anbu where it wasn't necessary for people to get to know her. All that mattered was the mission. Relationships were useless to her now. They did nothing but betray and hurt her in the end. The severed connections, such as with Boruto, and the possibility of more in the future were too much for her to bare. It was why she decided it was best to erase it all. There was also an immovable guilt that lingered. The fact that she was responsible for her own mother's death was still traumatizing, and the effects seemed as if they too would last an eternity. Erasing her capacity to develop relationships was not only for protection, but for punishment.

Unfortunately for Akua, there was one person that challenged that logic. That person was now within sight. The moment Akua's brain processed that image, the moment that her ocular lense focused on that individual, panic carved a crevice into her chest. Not only did she suddenly catch a glimpse of that person amongst the heads that passed back and forth, they too had caught a glimpse of her. Their eyes met, layered crimson to a dimmed, lifeless violet; a line of sight that pierced through everything in between. Time slowed to a complete stop. The roaring crowd went mute and the people vanished. All Akua could perceive was a female in mid stride with a cellphone in her hand about ten meters away. The curly black hair was unmistakable. "Mirai," Akua mouthed. Adrenaline flooded the Uchiha's bloodstream. Fright twisted into every inch of her face. Fight or flight? Flight.

When Akua decided that she would flee, Mirai had already taken the first sprinting step towards her. Time gradually accelerated to normal speed as Akua forced her body to function, spinning in the opposite direction. The Uchiha's feet fired and within less than a second, she was bolting through the pedestrians. Akua had little remorse for the people she crashed into. They were just obstacles in her path. Every time she knocked a person over, several more would fall underneath them. Screams filled the night as phones shattered against the concrete and bodies tumbled into the glass windows of buildings. "Watch where you're going!" they would shout.

Another screamed, "What the hell!"

"Ah! Goddamnit," another complained.

Akua was in full throttle without any intention of slowing down or stopping. She made a sharp right turn around a corner and into a construction zone. The sign was knocked over and a worker was thrown aside. The Uchiha sprinted underneath a net of scaffolding and used the edge of her palms to cut out the poles that held it up. As Mirai curved around the corner, she was met by the crumbling towers of wood and stone littering the street with debris. There was a howling blast that forced Akua's head around. Mirai had torn through the destruction with her wind style, undeterred by what would've been a massive road block. She held another hand seal as she passed through the raining fragments. "Shit, shit, shit, shit," Akua cursed, changing direction and exiting the construction site through an alleyway.

As Akua weaved through the dark, narrow path, there was no longer any sign of Mirai. That was until the crimson eyed girl slipped out from a corner in front of her. Akua gulped at the sight of her and made another sharp right. _How did she get in front of me_? There was little time to think through this predicament, but once again, Mirai and appeared in front of her. _Clones_. Another turn was taken, this time an exit from the alley. The street that it opened up to had a train cruising through its center, but Akua didn't slow down. Mirai would surely catch her if she did. _This'll lose her_. The Uchiha vaulted from the alley and soared into the street. Adrenaline slowed the motion of everything around her again. Akua twisted her body to conform to one of the tight gaps in between the cars of the train. When relative time caught up with her, the train zoomed by and she had escaped to the other side, all parts of her in tact.

Travelling down that street brought her to a four-way alley junction in the center of Shibuya. Just when she thought she'd gotten away, Akua found herself with her back against the ground. Her arms were pinned down above her head and her body trapped underneath the weight of the one who straddled her. She wasn't able to perceive anything yet, her vision was still settling from being tackled to the ground. As Akua stared up into a blur, she felt a droplet splash onto her cheek, causing her to wince. A second droplet, three, four, five. There was a sniff. Akua's vision sharpened. She was gazing up into watery, bloodshot eyes, quivering lips and a runny nose. Mirai couldn't hold it in any longer. The floodgates that held her tears back had collapsed and she buried her face into Akua's chest to muffle the cries. "Stop…" Akua beckoned, "stop it… stop crying!"

"I… I…cannntuh..!" Mirai's arms were trembling now.

"W-Why?!" Akua's own voice was breaking now.

The older girl lifted her head. "I missed you so much…"

"S-Stop..! Don't say that!"

"I searched, I searched, for weeks… and I called… I called, I called, I called… and you never answered," Mirai wept.

"Just leave me be!" Tears were streaming down the sides of Akua's face.

"Are you insane," Mirai bawled, "you don't know what you are to me, do you?"

Akua's crying hisses caused her to lose air.

"When your house blew up I nearly LOST it… I thought I lost you… and then I heard you were safe in the hospital, I was soo happy… I sent you the flowers… but your mother…I cried, I cried for you because I knew you were falling apart. I knew you were hurting… I came back to visit you and you were missing..! And I just wanted to hold you… to comfort you, I know my letter wouldn't have been enough… then you showed up on TV… you showed the world who you were, I was proud but so sad at the same time… I could only imagine what you were going through…"

"Mirai…"

"Then I lost you again, Boruto wouldn't tell me anything… you vanished… you ignored my calls… I heard rumor after rumor about you… that you were dead… that you joined the Anbu… but I just wanted to see you again..!"

"Mirai..!"

"I don't know what I did to make you not want to see me… to make you hate me, but I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry that I couldn't be there for you! Just please forgive me! You're like the little sister I always wanted… you're my best friend and I love you, so please!"

"Mirai! I did it! I killed her! She's dead because I killed her… I… I.. can still see the blood on my hands every time I look at them… and I can't wash it off!"

"No…"

"I'm a murderer! I'm guilty! I don't deserve you… I don't deserve anyone or anything!"

"No..! I don't know what happened that night, but I know _you_ , and you would never do such a thing on your own accord, so stop!"

Akua pulled an arm free and tugged down the right side of her top to reveal her the skin of her neck. All the veins in that area were visible and as black as the night. Each one converged on a single point, the place where she'd been injected. "See this..? I'm a fucking monster!"

"You're Akua Uchiha, my best friend…"

"I'm just going to hurt you too…"

"I'd stand by your side with a sword in my back and a knife in my throat if it meant I could protect you."

Akua turned her head to the side so she didn't have to face Mirai. "I'm empty… hollow…"

Those were the words that made Mirai remember something she'd picked up on but hadn't acknowledged. She placed her ear against Akua's chest and listened. Except for the sounds of breathing, there was nothing. No sounds of circulation, no thumping and thudding. Silence. "W-What happened to you… how are you… alive?"

Akua shook her head. With clenched teeth and her body jolting from sobs, she used her free hand to cover her eyes. "I don't know… I don't even know if I am anymore… or what I am…I can't feel anything."

"I don't care," Mirai decided. Her tears had stopped and the residue underneath her eyelids dried. "I'll fix you. I'll figure out what's happening, and I'll fix you."

Mirai lifted herself from Akua's body and pulled the young girl up with her. She placed her hands against Akua's temples and touched their foreheads together. "You want to feel again, don't you?"

Akua hesitated for a second but ultimately nodded.

"Then you will, and I'll help you," Mirai reassured before pulling her into an embrace. Although Akua claimed she couldn't feel anything, she felt faint traces of warmth from Mirai's arms. Akua even felt her own arms, the muscles moving independently to wrap around the arch of Mirai's back. "You aren't dead yet… you've still got light in your eyes."

Akua was released and her hand taken. "C'mon Shrimp, it's getting late. Let's take you home."

When she was tugged, Akua resisted. "Mirai…"

"Hmm..?"

Mirai saw her friend do something she hadn't seen in months. Regardless of how negligible it was or how slight, it was there. It proved the point she was trying to make. With her eyes fixated on Mirai's hand in her own, Akua was smiling.

"Thank you."

* * *

After their encounter, Akua decided that she'd lead Mirai to her home. No more secrets were going to be kept between them. When Akua told her friend that she lived in Grand Park, Shibuya, the girl gasped. It was only a few minutes away from Mirai's home in Rasen. Furthermore, all that Akua had been through since her disappearance was revealed. That was when she suggested Mirai's joining the Anbu would be the only way for them to spend more time together. "I'll talk to Lord Hokage about it tomorrow morning, I'm sure he'd let me in," Mirai beamed. The confidence forced another smile out of Akua, and laughter from Mirai.

To make their trip short, the two kunoichi travelled by rooftop. However, at about the halfway mark, Akua noticed something on top of a building below them. "Mirai, hold on," she said, changing direction towards it. The Uchiha came across a strappable pouch laying on the ground. A further examination of the scene revealed damages to the stone of the roof, splatters of blood, a dented water tank and the case of a syringe with traces of whatever substance was emptied from it. "Looks like some signs of struggle, something must've happened here," Mirai figured.

"Yea," Akua agreed, picking up the pouch and unzipping it to search its contents. Along with various ninja tools such as kunai and shuriken, the Uchiha saw something that sowed her expression into anger.

"What is it," Mirai asked. She was clueless as to why Akua reacted in such a way when a bottle of Kumo white wine was pulled from the pouch. Akua clenched her eyelids and fired off to the east, traveling in the opposite direction of her house. "Hey! Where are you going!"

"Come with me, I have to go help a friend."

Akua remembered the chakra signature that Reiko gave off and utilized her sensory technique to pinpoint her exact location. The trail brought the two to the outskirts of Shibuya, near the wall that closed Konoha in. As they approached, they noticed flashing lights of various colors and a blaze that lit the night sky. From their acquired vantage point, they witnessed shinobi evacuating people from the premises, clearing them out due to a raging warehouse fire. Caution tape and Shibuya police barricades surrounded the perimeter while firefighter ninja quelled the flames with water release. There was an explosion that blasted scorched debris into the air and raised cries from those frightened civilians who witnessed it. "Is this where she is, Akua..?" Mirai wondered.

"Yea… this is where her chakra was leading me to, but I don't see or sense her anywhere…"

Akua spectated as medical ninja carried individuals out of the building and escorted them to evacs. She even saw the man who she would have recognized as Mr. Jun being carried out with an oxygen mask around his face. No Reiko. Mirai noticed the fret present in Akua's demeanor. "You don't think she's…"

"There's someone behind us," Akua cut in, whipping her head around. There was an individual who climbed from the side of the same building and collapsed onto the roof breathing in gallons of air. They were covered in dirt and burn marks, their silver hair laced with charred wooden shards. It only took that person a moment to realize that she wasn't alone. Tilting their head to the side, she caught sight of the two females but focused on one in particular.

"No way," the person grinned.

"Reiko?!"

The silver haired girl sprang to her feet and ran towards Akua. "Didn't think you'd come searchin' for me again…how'd you know I was in trouble?"

"Here," Akua replied, handing her the pouch and the bottle of wine. "I found these and figured you wouldn't be the to type to leave them behind."

"Ooh…quite the analytical one huh?"

"I suppose so," Akua admitted, "but it doesn't look like you needed much help…"

Everyone's attention turned to the smoldering warehouse for a brief period, then back at each other.

"Ah, I was actually on my way to get all that stuff out of your apartment when those thugs attacked. Knocked me out with some drug and went I came to, I was tied up in that warehouse… pretty stupid if you ask me… so I got loose and wreaked havoc," Reiko exclaimed, singing the last few words and brandishing her arms. Both Akua and Mirai were frightened by her enthusiasm.

"I see, well… I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier… and I was hoping we could pick up where we left off… friends?"

Reiko blinked a few times with confusion then leaned in to examine the Uchiha girl. Her attention switched to Mirai. "What'da hell d'ya do to her?"

Mirai threw her hands up in surrender, "Nothing! I just… made her come to her senses is all!"

Akua held out her fist when Reiko turned back to her. She watched the exhausted girl's surprise morph. Reiko lowered her chin, closed her eyes and smiled. When they reopened, their fists bounced off each other with a _thump_!

"C'mon now," Reiko called, turning and running ahead of them.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

"To your house ya dummy! Can't finish all this wine on my own can I?"

"Oh thank god," Mirai exhaled, "I thought you were gonna keep it to yourself… I always wanted to try the Kumo brand!"

"M-Mirai!" Akua couldn't believe she was holding in such a desire. Now the two older girls fantasized about the potential wonders that existed inside the bottle of wine. "But… I'm not old enough to—"

"Neither am I! I don't know about Miyu…Mirai! But she seems down, I like her!"

"A sip wouldn't hurt," Mirai insisted, dragging Akua along with a bright smile, "let's go!"

Akua could already tell she would regret taking even the slightest sip of the beverage, but she would be with two people she considered friends: one she held dear, and one she hoped she would grow closer to. That made it a bit more tolerable, but only a bit!

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed reading again. I have a lot planned and I'm determined to finish it all. The next few chapters are going to take a turn from Akua and focus on developing another important character I think you'll find equally as interesting as whoever your favorites are right now.**

 **I can't guarantee that I'll have this next chapter done within the two week mark, but I promise that it won't take six months! Be expecting chapter 20 around the beginning of March!**

 **Fav/Follow/Review!**


	20. Foreign Diplomacy

**A/N: I know everyone was expecting this chapter in March but I was a bit to hopeful with the time I thought I had. Just when things looked like they were cooling down I got bombarded again. Moving into a new house also hindered me due to wifi issues. The internet isn't perfect yet but I am working on it.**

 **I don't want to continue letting you guys down so I think it's best if I stop making promises I can't keep at the moment. In all honesty, I won't be able to uphold my 2 week release until June. This doesn't mean I won't be working on the chapters, I need just to catch up with myself and I'll be using the spring break I have right now to do so. Anyway, here's the chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Ch 20**

 **Foreign Diplomacy**

It had been almost two years since the day panic kneaded its way into the fabric of Kusagakure's infrastructure. A fugitive Uzumaki woman and her daughter stole the city's most valuable, secret possession and got away with it. During the raid, labs and research notes were destroyed, immolating in a blaze when scientists and security officials learned of what transpired. Reacquisition of their project, identified as Z or _Yabune's Serum_ , drove Kusagakure and the Land of Grass into a wall of boycotts and trade embargoes. Such is the case with those countries who choose to defy Konohagakure and the Shinobi Alliance. Tension rose to conflicts and those conflicts led to the incident at the Blood Prison. The leader of Kusagakure, son of Jurou Hideyoshi, lost his life during the violence—a death still mourned throughout the nation. Relations between Kusa and the powers that murdered their leader further plummeted with each week that passed. Hideyoshi's bold act of terrorism of course did little to help, earning him a spot on Konoha's most wanted. Since then, the emissary of the Genesis Program, Ginzen, had taken control of the city. Unfortunately for the people of Kusagakure, he was able to do little about their economic disparities. Every week, there was another hundred families that fell on the brink of the poverty line and the quality of life for the average citizen was the lowest it had been since the Third Great Shinobi War. However, as with any social setting, the upper class lived soundly and that included Ginzen and his constituents.

The single building that once harboured all the activity of the Genesis Program had evolved into a small fortress, overlooking most of Kusagakure. The old building was now a four-story masterpiece. The exterior was carved into a sharp, dark-marble structure with windows leading only into the bedrooms of those who resided on its top floor. The three floors underneath had training facilities, staff rooms and small apartment style living quarters scattered among them. Only the instructors and the elite of the Genesis students earned rooms on these floors. The younger and less experienced were rarely found above the first, which hadn't been renovated. All of their training rooms were located here, except for a handful of the kumite dojos and their rooms that were still the tiny, stone cells they'd always been. The only aesthetic part of that level of the building was the entrance that led to the large four-way corridor room with the muraled ceiling. The other buildings surrounding the main one were used as more living space for the program's teachers.

There was one boy among the several hundred young warriors that stood out exponentially from the rest. This earned him a comfortable room on the third floor with other powerful shinobi called Genesis Agents by the instructors of the program. He travelled through the third floor's corridors, dim lit by wall-mounted, azure flame lanterns. Every person that passed by him was avoided and there was no discrimination between who was and wasn't. There was so little conversation and commotion in the halls that one could hear the clicking footsteps of an individual at the other end of a forty meter stretch. The howling cries of pain and fatigue as children fought themselves and their instructors made up their way through the second floor but dispersed at the third. Despite the amount of people that resided within, there wasn't a single person that considered the place a home. For the boy, and nearly every other Genesis ninja, such a concept no longer existed.

The boy came to the end of the hall and stood outside his door for a moment as if contemplating something. He took a lazy glance to his left, his right, then forward. His hand clenched the knob a bit tighter than normal and the door opened into his room with a flick of the wrist. It wasn't allowed to swing very far, as the moment its hinges creaked open, the door slammed shut. Finding himself amongst the quiet in his room, a breath was released. It was pitch black until the light switched on and erased the shadows, making he who was clad in dark robes a bit less comfortable. The room was a standard rectangular shape of about 25 square meters, fashioned by the same marble that characterized the building. To the right was a single, maroon sofa and a pair of cushions scattered upon it. In front of the sofa was a glass coffee table stacked with various texts and accompanied by a collection of kunai. Just before the sofa was the doorway to his bedroom and within, the entrance to the closet and his own bathroom. On the left was a study where more books rested upon a wide, wooden desk and in the center, a piece of parchment with a map drawn across it. At the opposite end of the stretch was some sort of makeshift meditation shrine with outed candles on each side around a low end-table. Resting on the table was an old teddy bear smeared with blood stains and its head nearly torn off its body. Behind it was a frameless mirror which the boy could see the top of his head in from across the room.

The boy's mask was removed from his face and tossed aside as he stepped further into his abode. The sound of obsidian material clanking against the polished stone floor was ignored, and he proceeded to remove his upper garments. Kneeling upon the cushion in front of the end table, the boy examined the mirror. He watched his fingers press into his ivory complexion and trace themselves over the deep scars on the right side of his face. "Welcome back," he said, smiling at his reflection. Seeing his own face and skin in the mirror comforted him. It reminded him that there was still a human being behind that black skull mask and underneath his dark clothing. There were often times in the mirror when it appeared as though he hadn't taken the mask off, even though it was on the floor behind him. Today was a lucky day.

The boy transitioned from his kneel to being cross legged and placed his hand against his knees, bending his elbows. He shut his eyes and exhaled. There was a brief stillness until his body twitched. His mind was clearing a mental path for him to travel down. Within the darkness behind his eyelids, he could see himself rushing forward, twisting and turning on the move. His fingers tightened against his knees and a bead of sweat trickled down his jawline. As he approached his mental destination, there was a road block. A pair of crimson beams flashed in his mind, forced him out of his meditation and threw his body panting against the floor. "Not this time, huh…" he muttered to himself.

"What the hell were you just doing?"

The boy's ears perked up to the owner of the voice. Peeking in through the front door was a fellow Agent, Kenji.

"None of your business…I believe the better question is why you decided to pop in."

"Heh, well. Tanoshimi's requested your presence, Hensō."

* * *

Hensō brought himself up from the ground while Kenji stepped into the room and shut the door. On the way to his closet, the Uchiha paid little attention to his guest, only stopping half way to retrieve the mask that rested on the floor. Kenji's eyes followed the boy as he moved through the room, shifting from the mask in his hand to his face. It was one of the few times he'd seen Hensō's actual skin. "You heard me, didn't you?"

"What does she want with me?" Hensō spoke through the walls of the bedroom.

"No clue. I didn't hear it from her. A messenger came looking for you earlier and you weren't here, so they came to me."

There was no reply on Hensō's end.

"You ever spoken to her before" Kenji asked.

"Once or twice, maybe."

The two hadn't held a conversation together either, not since Kenji accompanied him to Konoha a few months prior to this current exchange. Despite there being very little interaction amongst those involved with the Genesis Program, Hensō was a step ahead, or behind. He no longer placed value into developing relationships with others and therefore, remained socially aloof. To them, he was just the guy in the mask. There were only a select few that knew him by name, and even less who'd heard his voice. Most of those children were dead now, having succumbed to the rigors that the program entailed.

Hensō entered the main room once again after changing into a fitted, black-fibered shirt that hugged his skin with sleeves rolled above his elbows. He had also donned the mask again, peering through its eye sockets to see Kenji examining his shrine. "What's this—"

The sound of the front doorknob rotating in Hensō's grasp stirred the teenager's attention.

Hensō stood still, holding his door open in a gesture for him to leave. Kenji complied with the silent request and made his way out. "You're going in that mask," he mentioned while approaching, "you know your scars aren't that grotesque that you need to wear that all the time."

" **Heh** ," Hensō chuckled, shutting the door behind them, " **you think this is to cover up my scars?** "

Kenji watched him turn down the hall towards the staircase that lead to the fourth floor.

" **If only it were that simple.** "

* * *

Before Hensō could ascend the staircase to the top floor, he had to go through a security checkpoint. Only authorized individuals were allowed to go up, and this would be his first time being granted the opportunity. It was the reason he wondered what he was being called for and why. There was a droopy- faced old man with a full, graying mustache sitting at a desk near the staircase. The man immediately stopped Hensō as he approached. "Halt," he ordered. "Authorized personnel only."

" **What are you talking about…** "

"Authorized. Personnel. And I've never seen you before. Do you have an ID?"

" **No, but I** -"

"Can't let you in."

" **Will you lis** -"

"Get out of here mask bo-"

The man was thrown up against the wall. His feet left the ground and gloved fingers were tightening their grasp on his throat. All he could let out were a few airless gasps. Somehow, Hensō had closed the distance between them in an instant even though the desk stood in his way. The old gatekeeper clenched his frail fingers over Hensō's wrist, but it did little to help his case. " **Watch your tongue. You don't want your other foot in the grave now do you?** "

The elderly man would have shook his head if he could move it.

" **I'm here on reque—** "

The phone on the desk rang. The sound caused Hensō to release the man. He watched him collapse on his knees and crawl towards his desk. When the caller ID was identified, the old man rushed to answer. He slammed his hand against the telephone module a few times before clicking the speaker button. "Tanoshimi-sama! H-How m-may I hep-help you," he struggled to ask. He was still recovering from Hensō's death grip.

"I'm hearing some commotion beneath the floor and it's quite disturbing, Mr. Gato, is everything well?"

"Yes! Yes, everything is fine… just some black masked hoolig-"

"Black mask?"

"Y-Yes…"

"He is my guest. Send him up at once," Tanoshimi demanded.

The man glared at the one in the mask for a moment before responding, "Of course, ma'am, he'll be right there!"

"Splendid," the Ryūketsu said before hanging up the phone.

The old man scowled at Hensō walking around the desk towards the staircase. He then pulled himself to his seat and undid the invisible barrier mechanism that sealed the path. "Her room is the one all the way at the end of the hall as soon as you get to the top," spat the old man.

" **Thank you.** "

Just like the old man stated, the entrance to Tanoshimi's room stood at the end of the hall as Hensō arrived at the peak of the staircase. It was characterized by large, golden double doors, a striking contrast to the metallic silver of the material that walled the corridor. As Hensō passed through, he noticed how pristine this area of the building was compared to the rest. The ground was polished, making it possible to see a parallel reflection of the world within the grey-veined, black marble. White light built into the ceiling illuminated every inch of the dark surfaces beneath it and gave the walls a brilliant glow. There was even a sense of tranquility that Hensō felt. It was almost disturbing, considering where he was. There were few rooms on this floor, and the only people that he knew of whom lived here were Tanoshimi and Ginzen.

Hensō arrived at the three-meter-tall doors and knocked. The noise echoed throughout the hollow passageways. No response. When he reached to knock again, the heavy door unhinged and drifted open. Hensō took it upon himself to slide through the partition. Upon doing so, the door returned to its original position, active with a mind of its own. It was then that the masked individual realized why there were so few rooms. This wasn't an upscale dorm like his abode, it was an entire studio apartment. Tanoshimi's living space alone was about five times the size of Hensō's entire accommodation. The room had the same polished, black marble flooring that the hall did, but her walls were a rich charcoal grey. Every surface was smooth except for the rigid, gray-brick wall to the right where several shelves brimming with literature stood. Opposite the golden doors were tall, dark curtains that spread across the entire wall, resting over glass panes of comparable size. In front of Hensō was a wide, glass coffee table supported by a silver stand and hugged by black leather sofa sets. Underneath it all was a snow-white, fur rug that seemed to generate light on its own in contrast with the other colors in the room. Furthermore, the area surrounding the sofas and the table—the central living space—rested about a foot lower than the rest of the apartment. It was accessible by a small set of descending steps, continuous about its perimeter. To the left was a spiral, steel staircase that lead to a balcony, giving Tanoshimi's room its own second floor. Hensō suspected that was where her sleeping quarters was located. Underneath the balcony was the kitchen area, partially closed off by a granite counter with cushioned bar stools about its exterior. Behind it was a stainless steel fridge that Hensō could barely see from around a corner, a stove, prep area, blackwood cupboards, and a sink. All together, the entire space was the most aesthetic thing Hensō had ever seen. Even after experiencing it for several minutes, he remained stunned.

At the top of the room, beyond the bookshelves, was a door that swung open, releasing a gust of eerie mist. From it stepped a fair-skinned female with wispy but damp white hair, wearing nothing but a pair of black panties with frilled edges. Hensō couldn't help but to notice her hourglass figure, moderate muscle tone, and steaming wet skin. Faint droplets of water crawled down the center of her chest, against her flat stomach and around her belly piercing. The towel she used to dry her hair was large enough so that the ends covered her bare, voluptuous breasts. The way her hips swayed as she walked across the other end of the apartment was just another reason for the masked one to be stunned. Tanoshimi let the towel drop around her neck, rest on her shoulders and noticed her company. "Ah, you're finally here," she greeted with a smile.

Hensō stood at the door, silenced by her beauty.

"…And you're still wearing that blasted mask? Who are you trying to fool, Se—"

" **I don't go by that name anymore.** "

"Oh really? What was it then… Hensō?"

He gave her a stiff nod.

Tanoshimi was near the left side of the room now. "Your heart rate is… accelerating. Am I making you feel uncomfortable," she asked. How she was able to detect that was beyond him. Hensō could hear the teasing tone behind her posh, foreign accent. "I apologize, I've just taken a bath…"

" **You're not embarrassed at all? That you're practically naked in front of a male?** "

"Why on earth would I be embarrassed by what the female figure was intended to do to males? Why, I'm more amused by your awkwardness than bothered by your seeing my body," Tanoshimi giggled. "Those sexual perceptions aren't of any concern to me."

There was hardly a time when her lips weren't curled into a smirk. She was closer to Hensō now, heading towards the spiral stairs. Her path allowed him to catch a whiff of her rich, natural fragrance. It was like a blast of sweet, jasmine-scented air had hit him in the face.

"Take a seat won't you," she gestured towards the sofas while ascending the steps to the balcony, "they're all quite comfy."

Hensō managed to move his legs a few seconds later then found himself sitting in one of the sofas. He elected not to lean back into the seat and instead slouched forward with his arms resting on his knees. "Shall I get you something to drink," Tanoshimi inquired while sorting out her clothing from up above.

" **Just some water.** "

"Ah, simple one, aren't you?"

" **Will you hurry and tell me why you called me here?** "

"Yes of course, time is of the essence."

The girl made her way down the stairwell and poured two glasses of water from a jug in the fridge. Hensō saw her in the corner of his eyes as she came into the sofa area and placed down his glass. Tanoshimi wore a dark, buttoned up collar shirt now, but her legs were still bare. She sat across from him and crossed her right leg over the left.

" **Where are your pants?** "

"The ones I wanted to wear are in the dryer. Now," she cleared her throat and took a sip of water, "I called you here because I wanted to personally invite you."

"An invitation?"

"Yes, my brother and I will be going to the Land of Rivers to dine with the Feudal Lord. We both decided that we'd like you to accompany us as our…plus one."

"You're travelling thousands of kilometers just to dine with a feudal lord…"

"No you dunce, think of it as a diplomatic mission. Our goal is to win them over to our cause."

" **And what exactly is this 'cause' you speak of?** "

"Well I'm afraid I haven't the ability to inform you, unless of course, you agree to join us."

Hensō had yet to touch the glass of water he requested. The liquid sat idle in the cup, positioned above a coaster. " **This isn't like you. This isn't like either of you,** " the masked one glared.

"It's simple, really. We've noticed your accomplishments and growing strengths over the past year or so. You're perhaps one of the most exceptional specimens Genesis has produced, and we feel that you'll be crucial to our success moving forward."

Hensō didn't let her compliments loosen his skin. _Specimens_ , she called him.

"Of course, you could stay here in this boring place…"

Hensō rose to his feet, leaving the water on the coaster and headed towards the door. " **Listen,** " he said as he walked forward, hands tucked in his pockets, " **I appreciate the consideration, but I'm not interested.** "

Tanoshimi's face sunk in disappointment. "You're serious? Turning down such a prestigious offer?"

Hensō was ready to open the door. " **Like I said, thanks but no thanks.** "

Tanoshimi cursed silently to herself before a lightbulb went off in her head. "It's a shame really…I thought maybe you'd like to know why you were spared in the first place, that day."

Hensō paused with his fingers wrapped around the golden handle. In that moment, his attention was snagged. The words peeled layers away from his skin, sent a brisk chill down his spine, and bored itself into his very being. It had always been a mystery to him why he was allowed to walk about the Genesis building and Kusagakure a free man despite the punishable circumstances he had been indirectly involved in. Furthermore, ever since Ginzen arrived on the scene, those of Ōtsutsuki descent within the Grass Country—as far as Hensō knew—were put to death indiscriminately without much reason other than their lineage. A majority of those massacred had been the remnants of the Uzumaki, now distinguishable by their bright crimson hair due to the discovery of Karin. He even heard about the Hyūga genin that was killed during Tanoshimi's chūnin exam mission. Even though they were the least abundant, the Uchiha were not exempt. Hensō was a mix of two of these bloodlines which made him even closer to the Ōtsutsuki than any individual of a single heritage was. Regardless of this, and the fact that Ginzen had witnessed Hensō's dojutsu, the boy was still breathing. It was the second thing that he didn't understand, the first being why a specific group of people were being targeted. This failure of theirs to carry out what they had established into law was the reason for Hensō's distance and why his mask was worn at all times. He felt it was the only way he could hide from prying eyes. Perhaps, if he wore the mask long enough, remained an enigma, those around him would simply forget what he was. Unfortunately, he could still sense the scorn and malice from Kusa officials and Genesis higher ups. There wasn't a single person who Hensō considered an ally within these walls, not anymore. Karin's actions on that day two years ago had taken everything from him. Now here Tanoshimi was, claiming to know the reason why he still existed after all this time.

Hensō turned to look back at the girl he left sitting in the sofa. She was relaxed into the seat with her arms propped up and her legs still crossed. Tanoshimi's head rested level with her arms atop the support of the sofa as if she was staring up at the ceiling, but her eyes remained closed. They didn't open until her head pivoted to catch a glimpse of the masked individual staring her down. "Oh, still here?" Her lips curled in amusement. "I thought you were on your way out."

" **What were you saying…** "

"Nothing," she lied, "just muttering to myself, of course…"

The girl let her eyelids shut and shifted her head back to its original position before being jolted forward by a tug of her shirt. Her vision was forced open by surprise to a view of Hensō's black mask and his hands clenching her clothing. " **What did you say?! What do you know,** " Hensō pressed, demanding answers.

Hensō's actions caught Tanoshimi off guard, so much so that her mouth hung open a bit. "W-Why so aggressive, Hensō?"

He shook her body and caused her to undo the crossing of her legs. "Stop fucking with me..!"

Tanoshimi's stunned expression once again curled into amusement. Her chest throbbed, pumping blood and adrenaline through her veins. Hensō's anger was exhilarating. Never in her life had anyone attempted to treat her in such a subordinating manner; shaking her body about like a toy. "T-This is grounds for e-execution," she managed to say through her wide, indulging grin. Both of their gazes were sealed upon each other, Tanoshimi's icy glare against Hensō's red fury.

" **You people should've done that ages ago.** "

"Ooh," Tanoshimi shivered in his hands, "I take it… you've changed your mind then, yes?"

With caution, Hensō released his grasp on the girl and diverted his gaze. He realized now he'd gotten carried away. However, Tanoshimi didn't seem appalled. Instead, she giggled. The girl rose from her seat, collected the two glasses of water, and continued her soft laughter into the kitchen area.

"Hurry and pack your things. We leave tonight," she instructed before the _ding_ of the dryer in the next room rang.

* * *

Hensō was reluctant to comply with the girl but figured that he would anyway. She was right after all. He didn't want to be cooped up in the Genesis building, a place where he knew he wasn't welcomed. It was his pride that kept him from initially accepting her offer, however he saw something else in her eyes beyond her frozen shell of a stare. That, coupled with the fact that she claimed she knew the reason for his continued existence, plagued him with a genuine curiosity.

There wasn't much that Hensō wanted to take with him. He went to his room to collect one backpack and in it, gathered five changes of clothes, a couple snacks and his hygienic materials. Hensō never went anywhere without his weapons. A set of shuriken and kunai were tucked into his back pouch, and his wakizashi was tucked beneath his cloak. Of course, he didn't forget his mask. Lastly, he brought with him one of the books he was currently reading and had hidden in his room: _The Curse of Hatred_.

It was drawing close to 9 p.m. when Hensō arrived at the rendezvous point. Behind the fortress was a private railtrack connecting to the main roads. Waiting for him there at the platform while the attendants filed in was Tanoshimi. Her dark, collared shirt was tucked into a pair of black, skin-tight pants and accented by two-inch, heeled boots. A maroon red shawl wrapped around her chest and hooked over her left shoulder, and it was complemented by a matching beret. Hensō had never seen her with headwear before, nor had he ever seen insignia that was embroidered onto it. The design resembled two _E's_ , one reflected horizontally and facing the other, with a single dot centered between them.

"Welcome aboard, my masked friend," Tanoshimi greeted with a smile. The gesture made Hensō uncomfortable because it wasn't the usual smirk that she always wore. As Hensō approached, Tanoshimi held her arms out toward the entrance of the car.

"… **Thank you for having me,** " he forced himself to say.

Hensō could see beyond the window panes that the interior of the train was of an elegant style and luxury, but he wasn't able to fathom this until he stepped inside. It was a world of glistening light where every surface sparkled. A studded, burgundy carpet with patterned fibers stretched throughout all seven cars of the train. Despite his widened eyes behind the mask, he could not take in the entirety of the view. "Is this your first train ride," Tanoshimi asked, stepping into the car after him.

Hensō nodded.

"Ah… well I'm glad I've been able to grant you this experience."

Her usual smirk returned.

The railcar that they entered was one specifically designed to be the living space. As with the rest of the train, the interior appeared to be carved out of polished mahogany. The walls were slightly curved, and every segment of the ceiling rained an orange light. It was cushioned with gold framed couches on one side of the narrow path and smaller, padded chairs on the other, both of which matched the carpet. Each couch had a small around table, bolted down in front of it, with glasses ready for refreshment. Velvet curtains of a darker, garnet shade hung parted about each window pane, and a flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall above the entrance to the next anterior car. With a hand on her hip, Tanoshimi pointed at that same door. "The next car serves as a dining room. It's late, but I've instructed them to prepare us something. You will eat with us, correct?"

" **I'm not hungry.** "

"Not hungry?" The girl dropped her eyes from Hensō's face to his thin figure, then gave him a sighing smile. "So be it."

Her attention shifted from him and focused on the door. "Beyond there is the third car that serves as the kitchen, and the second is the servants' quarters. As you might've guessed, the conductor's quarters is in front."

She turned around again and walked past him. "Come, I'll show you to your room."

There was a pause by Hensō for a few seconds before he took the first step to follow. Once at the other side, Tanoshimi slid the door open and passed into a connector corridor. "This mechanism here is how the train holds its cars together and turns," she briefly mentioned before opening the door of the fifth car.

Unlike what she described of the others, this car was a tight path that curled around a wall and extended down towards the next car. Curtains accompanied the windows on the left but weren't parted like the previous car. A few feet down the hall was a door to the right and another further down at the end. Tanoshimi opened the first door and cleared herself out of the way so Senshi could step into the frame.

"What do you think," she inquired.

" **First time on a train and it's already better than anywhere I've ever lived…** "

Hensō stepped into the room, Tanoshimi close behind him. It was about half the size of his room at the fortress but twice as comforting. The walls were a beige white, mixed in with the train's signature mahogany interior, and a pair of crimson couches sat in the corner behind a small table. The bed was well made, the collection of pillows were organized and the covers were pressed flat over the mattress. Everything seamed with the redwood flooring, and an oval, beige carpet added an element of contrast.

Hensō dropped his backpack next to the desk near the door then headed over to the bed and pressed his palm into the mattress. Most of his hand was devoured by the material. After using his second hand to continue gauging its softness, he took a seat upon it and sunk down. When he turned, Hensō could see the lights of the city beyond the curtained, glass windows within his room. Witnessing it almost made him forget why he was aboard in the first place.

"This is how we live, and this is how you will too if you continue to accept this crucial role we're offering."

Hensō hadn't paid much attention to what she said. There were other thoughts on his mind that blotted out the meaning of her words.

"We'll be departing soon. I hope to see you at dinner," she said before exiting and shutting the door to his room.

As stated, the braking mechanisms against the track shifted with loud clanks and culminated with the hissing of pressurized gas. Even though the engine was on the other end of the train, Hensō could hear it swelling with power, drawing energy from every corner of each car. Within a few moments, the cars jolted and the wheels creaked into motion. The view of the city began to disappear towards the left and as they accelerated, the various lights blended together. Unfortunately for his hosts, Hensō didn't appear for dinner that night. He'd locked himself in his room and tended to the text he'd brought. Not once did he remove his mask, and when he woke up the next morning it was still there, as if stitched to his skin.

* * *

Sunlight peeked through the clear glass of Hensō's windows and warmed the mask against his skin. The aroma of steaming bacon and scrambled eggs tempted his nostrils. He stepped into the bathroom next door and went through his regular morning routine, one of the few times his mask ever came off. After half an hour, he stepped back into the fourth railcar to see Tanoshimi sitting in one of the couches at the end of the room, gazing upon the lush prairies that defined the southern regions of the grass country. "Slept well, I assume," the girl began with a slight smirk.

Her vision hadn't shifted from the window since he was visible in the corner of her eye. Tanoshimi's hair was tied back into a long ponytail with a collection of side bangs loosely framing her face. She wore a similar pair of dark pants, but her boots were replaced with slippers, and her collared shirt with a white tank top. Hensō's eyes shifted from her to the plate of eggs on the small table.

"Have you ever eaten beef? It isn't provided at the Genesis fortress except for the instructors or my brother and I," she paused, "you could have had some last night if you decided to eat, you know."

" **Enough trying to woo me over. I admit, you surprised me the other day with this train, but it won't work again. Tell me what I came here for,** " Hensō demanded.

"Of course, of course," she looked at him now, "take a seat."

Hensō watched her cup a hand underneath her chin as she pondered.

" **What's taking so long…** "

"I'm trying to figure out where I should start so you can best understand."

Tanoshimi shut her eyelids to sift through her thoughts before reopening them. "I suppose I should start with why we're here, Ginzen and I."

Hensō winced at the sound of his name.

"As you've already observed, I'm not from this country, or this continent in general. My accent says as much. Although my ancestors originated here, I was born on the Kaijuu continent to the east, in the Land of Silence."

" **What does any of this have to do with me.** "

The girl giggled, "It leads me to the reason why we're targeting those of Ōtsutsuki descent and conversely, why you were spared. Do you even know the roots of your own blood?"

" **Go on,** " Hensō grunted.

"The Uchiha, Hyūga, Senju, and Uzumaki clans, as well as the extinct Kaguya clan, are all descendants of a woman named Kaguya Ōtsutsuki who lived over 1000 years ago. This alien woman appeared from the 'sky' as history would have it, and with her brought the chakra we all use today. They say with her power, she quelled all the wars in the land."

" **And where do your…ancestors…come in?** "

Tanoshimi went back into a ponder to carefully choose her words.

"My ancestors predate Kaguya, and their… religion…was the dominant force in the world at the time. They were called the Order of the Ryūketsueki, and that's the origin of my last name. In my indigenous language, my surname means _Dragonsteel_ or more traditionally, _Dragonblood_ , depending on which kanji you use."

" _ **Dragon...blood**_ **,** " Hensō repeated in her language. It was the first time he'd ever heard it, and the words he spoke filtered through his own native accent.

"The language was spoken only by my people and those who interacted with them," she added before continuing with her main focus. "Kaguya's presence was a threat to their religion and thus, the leader declared a crusade against her."

" **How was…he or she able to challenge such power?** "

"His means matters not, only that he failed."

Hensō narrowed his eyes behind the mask.

"His name was _Ethurius Dragonblood_ , and he bravely fought Kaguya on his own to put an end to her increasing tyranny. In the end, his final wish were that his followers be spared," Tanoshimi said, clenching her fists.

Hensō took notice immediately. " **And they weren't.** "

"Hensō. My people were slaughtered by that woman. Men, women, innocent children, every individual remotely involved with the Ryūketsueki… all hunted down, like animals. They were seen as a threat to her power because of the possibility another rising to challenge her. Even after Kaguya was eventually sealed away by her sons, her descendents continued her work…"

The boy gulped down as she spoke.

"Indra Ōtsutsuki, the ancestor of the Uchiha. After Kaguya's defeat, he's the one who spearheaded the annihilation of my clan simply because of our blood, and the beliefs of few. Then he forcibly set them against his brother Ashura's descendants, the Senju. We were scrutinized as the scum of the old world. Guilty prejudices were attached to our name."

The scent of the breakfast that Tanoshimi had laid out in front of her began to diminish as it cooled. The car shook and the wheels clicked against the rails, lifting their bodies a fraction of centimeters above their seats each time they did.

"Of course, when you're victims of genocide, you tend to dwindle down. Over the course of 1000 years we were driven out of the continent and went into hiding. It's fascinating, really. Millions of people reduced to less than one hundred scattered across the globe," she mentioned in a calm tone.

" **Tsk…your current creed doesn't make you any different,** " Hensō responded.

Tanoshimi's smile widened, and held in a chuckle. "Do you know why the Fourth Great Shinobi War, the most devastating conflict to grace the world, occurred?"

Hensō didn't have an answer for her.

"Because of the Uchiha. Madara Uchiha, his accomplices, their manipulation of the Five Great Nations, and their resurrection of that Ōtsutsuki demon. You can read it in any history book. Fortunately, the calamity that befell this world was reversed by the efforts of the Seventh Hokage and a former fugitive known as Sasuke Uchiha over a decade ago."

"… **Uchiha…Sasuke…** "

Hensō pondered that name and ingrained it into his memory. He wasn't sure why, but for some odd reason, he felt connected.

"Yes, indeed. But why? Why was such a terror possible? It's because they existed. Our creed isn't based of some century-long grudge. It's for the greater good. We can't create a better world if they're at the helm of it. The Ōtsutsuki, the system of the Five Great Nations, they're all to blame for the history that is shinobi. They're the reason why the world is the way it is, why you are the way you are. Everything…can be traced back to it, to them. Don't you want to fix it?"

" **So that's what all this, what Genesis is for..?** "

"You've seen it haven't you? Experienced it. The poverty of Kusagakure… of other small nations. The Kage thrive at the expense of those small countries, not only on this continent, but all over the world. If they wanted, Kaguya could have had her way. However since they stopped her, they feel entitled. Why should our fate be in their hands?"

" **What do you think you'll be able to do to them? Kusagakure vs. the Elemental Nations? You're sending a bunch of children to their deaths.** "

"Your perspective is limited," Tanoshimi responded, leaning back into her chair. "As I said before, I use to live in the Land of Silence in a small, decrepit village on the outskirts. A few months before I was born, Konohagakure deposed the Feudal Lord, Gengo—another abuse of their power. During that period of turmoil, warlords native to the country laid waste to the land as they battled over ownership. Millions of people were abandoned by those powers that plunged them into chaos. Famine was rampant, clean water was scarce and lower class residents like my parents were left unemployed."

Aside from the persuasive point that Tanoshimi was trying to display, there was an extra layer of unintended meaning that portrayed itself to Hensō. For the entirety of his time in Kusagakure, Tanoshimi had been on a pedestal, and that's how he thought it had always been for her. It was clear to him now that that wasn't the case. It was the reason he continued to listen.

"As various factions carved out territories, an elderly man came to our village to meet my family. My parents said he was some sort of priest; a modern relic of the Ryūketsueki. Somehow, he knew of the blood that ran through our veins and bequeathed the information I just told you; the lore about my bloodline and the Ōtsutsuki, it came from an ancient tome he had discovered and translated. He offered them salvation. This better world was his idea, a world where we were no longer dirt, where small countries weren't bullied. My parents wanted no part of it, but Ginzen, who was a naive twelve year old at the time, refused to accept the current fate of his dying clan. So, he and my other brother Tatsuya left with the man to build a power to rival the elemental nations."

Tanoshimi turned her forearm over and gazed into her palm, then her eyes trailed down to the veins in her wrist.

"My bloodline has…very special abilities…and the priest was able to unleash these hidden powers in my siblings. By the time I was born, they had ventured to the Land of the Sky, the neighboring country where the old man came from, and conquered it without spilling a drop of blood. Eventually they returned when I was about six and took control of the Land of Silence. All of the warlords agreed to follow their guidance. It was Ginzen who united them against the Great Nations. As for the Genesis program, that began when we arrived Kusagakure. Hideyoshi was the first feudal lord to side with us, and then Misuto with the Land of Rain. Up until now, we've been laying the groundwork, but the only way we'll be able to do this is if we unite the lesser nations of the world under one flag."

" **A man like Hideyoshi is just as vile as the Gokage and their Lords. What sense does having him make…** "

"I suppose you aren't wrong. However, in this day and age you can do much without the capital to reinforce it. Even though his money is dirty, Hideyoshi currently funds a majority of our cause. It's why we're still in pursuit of Yabune's Serum, something he's put a fortune of his personal wealth into. It's also why we're going to the Rivers Country; more nations means more investors. Though, regardless of our being in his debt, Hideyoshi is our figurehead and he doesn't realize it. All of our movements are being done under the veil of his name, and sooner or later, Konoha will take him down. We just have to secure his assets before then."

" **Tsk…you still haven't mentioned where I come in.** "

"Hensō, you're the key to our salvation. 'The blood of the Six Paths' first born shall be either the bane or the key to our existence.' Those words were passed down to my brother. I'm not really sure what they mean exactly, but I know we need you on our side."

" **And what makes you so sure I want to be on your side?** "

"I'm not sure at all. We're simply offering you a new life, a new path, a place of prestige in our ranks, a chance to shape this fucked world and make it work for you. Besides…what do you even have to go back to if not this?"

She posed a question Hensō had been avoiding for months. There was nothing at all to go back to. To him, he possessed no family and no place to call home. It was then that Tanoshimi leaned forward and held out her hand. "May I consider you my ally?"

With a gentle motion, Hensō raised his own hand. Instead of returning the girl's gesture, he snagged her wrist the way a snake would attack its prey. Once again, Tanoshimi was caught on her toes, surprised and a bit thrilled. Her shock shifted as the left corner of her mouth curled.

" **Tell me something first. Where does your allegiance lie?** "

Tanoshimi chuckled, "My allegiance to my empire is second… only to my family."

" **Family and empire…huh? So that's what you call it? An empire** ," Hensō replied. " **Heh, consider me whatever you like. But I'm not in this for you, any of you. I'm in this for me.** "

Tanoshimi ripped her hand from his grasp and massaged the skin of her wrist as she stood and began towards her room. "Fair enough," she smiled, sliding the entrance to the connector open. "We'll be in Tanigakure in less than 48 hours. I suggest you get plenty to eat before then."

With that, the steel door was shut.

* * *

After that conversation, there was little interaction between Hensō and his hosts. He spent the rest of the ride locked away in his room and had all his meals delivered to him by way of the servants. The only time he stepped out was to use the bathroom next door. The following two nights, Tanoshimi would knock in an attempt to bring him to dinner, but her efforts were futile. There was hardly any getting through to him.

At last, the time came when the lush scenery of the landscape washed away into a blur of gray and an absence of light. Trees and grass were replaced with stone buildings and concrete which became more visible as the train decelerated to local speeds. Tanigakure, the Village Hidden in the Valleys, bore a striking resemblance to Kusagakure. It wasn't a bustling metropolitan area, nor was it a relic of the past. However, it was depreciating. Many of the city's structures had modernized years before, but there was little effort that went into taking care of them. In the more urban sectors, windows were either broken or shattered. Graffiti painted alleyways and boldly decorated the faces of apartment complexes. The streets were littered with trash and the people mulled around like zombies. There were only two systems of track that cut through the city; one going in and one going out. Likewise, everyone turned their attention to what was a rare spectacle to them—the appearance of a train. As it passed and its horns blared, their heads turned on a swivel to watch it. The most poisonous aspect, however, would have been the air which was shrouded by a black smog, puffed out by the lone factory near the outskirts.

The train pulled into the lone station in the city at 7 a.m.. Hensō was the last to step out of the car. A large, neon welcome sign was constructed above the terminal, but severed electrical wires stood in the vacant space where the "L" and "E" would've been. Ginzen and Tanoshimi were already a few paces ahead of him, but he was in no hurry to keep up with them. Hensō hadn't come across Ginzen once during his time on the train, and it was something that he was proud of. As the man travelled ahead, Hensō noticed on the back of his billowing cloak, the same insignia that was imprinted on Tanoshimi's beret. His sister was by his side, looking like a child compared to his size. Ginzen had broad shoulders underneath his encompassing cape and still wore his black hair in a medium length, combed back style. It was a stark contrast to Tanoshimi's wispy white locks that she let bounce at her waist with each step. In addition, she wore a similar cape to her brother with the same design. The girl glanced back at Hensō for a brief moment before turning on ahead. Hensō threw the hood of the cloak he wore over his head in response and continued on to follow them.

The trio were escorted by a four-man squad of Tani jonin and within half an hour, were seated in a meeting room located in the Feudal Lord's regional quarters. There was very little space and the low, square table accounted for most of the area. Ginzen sat on one end, knelt upon a turquoise cushion next to his younger sibling. Hensō was considered a guard in this room and like the jonin who escorted them, stood about the perimeter. Dressed in all black and a skull-carved mask, he couldn't help but to attract cautious glances from the other men and women in the room. Hensō's appearance even frightened the daimyo when he entered.

"Good God…who in the world have you brought with you…Ginzen-san," he managed to ask through his startled breaths.

"Please, don't fret, Lord Kigawa. He is just my attendant."

"Curse it all! I thought a shinigami had come for me at last..!"

Lord Kigawa was of that age; an elderly man of about seventy years with folded wrinkles and a long, white chin beard. He was dressed in an embroidered, sea-green, silk kimono and a dark hakama that resembled the color of the cushions. A royal-style, traditional kasa covered his balding head and a cane rested at his side as he sat down. "It's been quite some time, Ginzen my boy. What brings you all the way out here?"

"I've come to check up on an old friend, of course."

"Gahahaha," the old lord cackled, "your concern is appreciated!"

From the casual manner in which they spoke to each other, Hensō deduced that the two men were already well acquainted, far more than Ginzen was to Hideyoshi. Questions as to why they were not affiliated weren't answered until moments later.

"How is the Tanigakure chapter of the Genesis program? Has it convinced you yet?"

"Ah…I see. It's been about ten years since we started it and so far we've bred some exceptional young shinobi…but as for your offer," he paused. "We simply don't have the funds to be of any use. We're still locked in that treaty with Sunagakure and the Land of Wind."

"Treaty? You've never mentioned this," Ginzen noted.

"I was afraid of how you might react, and I wasn't prepared for the repercussions…"

"And what are the terms?"

"Well, ever since that incident with the harboring of Akatsuki over a decade ago and the resulting death of their Kazekage, we've had to pay a hefty tax to Sunagakure each year as compensation. In fact, two ambassadors arrived just yesterday to collect. As you can see it's taken its toll on the city and this country."

Ginzen slammed his fist into the table, sending cracks and splintered wood along its surface. "Why was this not brought to me before?!"

"This! This is why, Ginzen-san…quite frankly, I can see where your plans are headed and I don't think such a conflict is best for my country with the state it's in. We're sandwiched by two of the Great nations…we'd be sitting ducks."

"What if we could ensure your protection…" Tanoshimi interrupted, "Perhaps by retrieving all your stolen funds, reimbursing you, and then using it to develop your country? We'll even throw in a bonus."

Ginzen looked down at his sister, noticing her collected demeanour and her confident grin.

"How exactly do you plan on achieving that, young lady," the daimyo questioned. His head was tilted up with a pompous expression and in response, Tanoshimi pointed towards Hensō, who wasn't at all moved by the sudden enlistment. All other persons within the room gasped at the gesture, even her brother.

"Our attendant here will suffice. He will recover whatever finances you've lost recently. If he's able to do that, we'll take it a step further, show you the results of Genesis. A heist of the Land of Wind's bank in Sunagakure."

The old man slammed both hands on the table and threw himself to his feet. "Are you out of your mind! You expect he alone to accomplish this?"

The daimyo glanced at Ginzen only to receive a hesitant nod of approval, then at the boy clad in the black mask.

"Tsk," he muttered. "Preposterous…unthinkable..!" He then sat and sunk his face into his hands. "But what choice do we have…gah, fine! If you can do this…you have my word, Ginzen."

The Feudal Lord held out his hand to the man sitting across from him. Ginzen turned his attention from Hensō to the hand.

"It shall be done," the Ryūketsu reassured, shaking Kigawa's hand. "Now, shall we eat?"

* * *

The upcoming sands of the Land of Wind weren't much to look forward to for the woman gazing out of the window of her cabin. She preferred the forestry and riverbed landscape instead. The train she was aboard had just crossed the border into her home country. Images of lush woods and the narrow streams that cut through them were transitioning into the rocky, dry habitats she was accustomed to. Eventually, her view of nature's graces then vanished, overtaken by a wall of stone. The rails had to pass through a valley before chugging the train through an endless desert whose dunes touched the horizon. As the woman pouted, there was a knock on her door. "Come in," she allowed.

A man in black robes and purple face paintings stepped into sight. "You hungry, Temari? They've got lunch ready."

"I'm alright, Kankuro," she replied with a gentle smile, facing her brother. "Thanks for asking though."

"Are you sure? You didn't eat breakfast either."

"Yea, I'm just a little—"

Before she could finish, there was a loud crash and the screeching sound of airborne wheels. In that moment, Temari lifted from her seat, felt weightless. Her heart was in her stomach now and Kankuro vanished. The world was spinning. She was twisting, twirling, tossed around. She couldn't deduce up from down, left from right. Different images were cycling in and out of her sight. It was the floor then the lights in the ceiling. Floor, then ceiling. Shards of glass floated in from her window. Her bed whisked past her eyes.

She saw Kankuro again, tossed across the cabin, then felt the impact of shattering wood against her back.

Blood obscured her vision.

Her body bounced off every wall of the room.

Her auditory senses tuned in again. The thunderous grating of steel hammered her eardrums. There was a hoarse yawning of metal, like the calls of a blue whale until gravity finally restored itself, dragged her down with a _THUD_ , and everything flashed to black.

* * *

 **A/N: I'll be continuing these events in the following chapter. It'll be packed with action so I hope you're all looking forward to it. Chapter 22 will refocus on Akua and the story will continue to for awhile. It'll be the first of a series of chapters that segway into a new arc.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the insight this chapter provided and I'll do my best to keep updating. Expect 21 within the next month.**

 **Fav/Follow/Review**

 **Thanks !**


	21. Heist

**A/N: I apologize to anyone just seeing this chapter. I've been trying to upload it for awhile but fanfiction was giving me an error message. I'm under the impression no email notifications went out, nor was the site notified of the new chapter. It kinda just slipped in under everything. Hopefully it will all be fixed by next release.**

* * *

 **Ch 21**

 **Heist**

There were no objections. Perhaps a bit of hesitation in the form of figuring out what Tanoshimi's goal was in suggesting him for the task, but no objections. After his conversation with her on the train, there were plenty of stray thoughts flying through his head. It allowed him see the internal struggle he had been suppressing. It provided answers for a circumstance that bothered him for years, while at the same time raising new questions. The most prominent one of all was what he planned on doing with himself and his life. He battled with what the purpose of his existence was, or rather, what he would make of it. Tanoshimi's words were needles of acupuncture piercing into the pressure points of Hensō's mind. She made him realize he had absolutely no place in the world from the moment he was born. The conclusion of that conversation was when he decided he had no choice but to create one for himself. With the knowledge he was granted and the perspective he was given, he knew exactly where to start.

Hensō didn't stay to eat breakfast with the group. When they sat at the table in the dining hall and were having their meals served to them, he only opened his mouth once. That was to ask where the ambassadors were thought to be at the moment. The Lord Kigawa stated they had stayed the night and left about an hour before his group arrived. Hensō wasted no time.

* * *

Bronzed grains of sand danced in between gusts of wind, billowing Hensō's cloak as he sat perched at the ledge of a steep, rocky slope. One of his legs were tucked close to him. The other hung over and knocked patches of dirt and pebbles into the valley beneath from the repetition of his heel tapping the cliff side. It was a jagged fall, about one hundred meters in altitude. The feet of the cliffs on both sides branched off into a sloped hill with sparse vegetation, then was artificially flattened out at the bottom. This was to accommodate the passage of trains, and there was a track that cut through the grooves of the rocks.

Hensō was somewhere along the eastern border between the Rivers country and the Wind country. Figuring out where his targets would be located wasn't of much difficulty to him either. He was informed that information regarding them would be kept confidential at the train station, but he was not hindered. With knowledge that Sunagakure was due east, he focused his sensory abilities in that direction. Hensō moved like a ghost with this ability without moving at all. He was in the darkness of his mind again, rushing forwards, twisting and turning, passing by a blur, other humanoid constructs of blue flame. For a few seconds there was nothing, just a black vacancy, and when he opened his eyes again he had transitioned himself into the forest about 30 km east. He went back into his mind and searched, continually sending himself another 30 km within a split second until he detected an abnormality. Somewhere out in the distance, there was a congregation of chakras all moving together at the same velocity. Hensō wasn't positive that it was what he was looking for, but it was worth a shot. Of course, if it wasn't he'd just try again. Deciding to side with his instincts led him to that ledge, awaiting the arrival of the train. However, he grew tired this and decided to bide the time by occupying himself with a meal.

Hensō placed his bento box to the side when the roaring horn of a locomotive was heard in the distance. He turned his head west in its direction and within a few seconds, was able to see it approaching. The time was around 2:30 p.m. which he had predicted. Waiting that long was necessary; what he was about to do would be too suspicious if done in Rivers territory. The masked one rose from his prolonged seat after partially covering his bento box and tilted off the edge of the cliff. It was a straight descent down until the slope caught up with him, and he had to plant his feet in leaps in order to make it in one piece. As the seconds passed, he could hear with more clarity. The continuous hissing of an engine and the steady chugging of the wheels against the tracks increased in volume. Hensō stood in the center of the rail now, and when the train rounded a curve, the conductor was able to see him. The horn blared off again, this time not as routine, but as a warning call to the dark figure in the vehicle's path. The horn blared twice in a row and with its shortening distance, the sound grew more intense. The frequency of the waves were tighter. They hammered Hensō's eardrums and broke over his mask like gusts of wind. The last horn sounded, and the vibrations rattled his body. He could hear screeching. The conductor was trying to decelerate, but both he and Hensō knew it was too sudden of a stop. If Hensō didn't move, he'd be a difficult, bloody stain of meat to scrub off. That was unless the train was able to move instead.

After forming the boar and snake seals respectively, Hensō planted his hands in the stone between a section of rail and dug his fingers into the ground. Chakra streamlined into the earth and a tremor rattled.

" **Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart…** "

Just meters before Hensō and the train collided, the base of the valley split across the middle, coughing up a cloud of displaced dirt. His view of the machine vanished into the air and was replaced by a rumbling wall of rising sediment layers peeling up into an incline.

Hensō stood to his feet and tilted his head upward. A shadow loomed over him, and he felt a shower of pebble-sized, earthen debris pelt his robes. Even though they were gliding off the track and the edge of the unnatural ramp, the wheel mechanisms underneath the train cars were still functioning. Hensō watched the machine in its arch over his head. Then came the spine chilling crash of the anterior end colliding with the ground, coupled with shattered glass projectiles and the grating bends of metal as it was crushed underneath the vertical weight of the rest of the train. The first car became an anchor. The five succeeding it became chain links that rattled between the cliff sides of the valley and disturbed more rock. Eventually the links detached and their momentum sent them forward. They tossed and turned like dented, mangled tin cans unshelved from an aisle but with thunderous impacts. Each came to a grinding halt as friction between them and plowed up stone forced them to stop.

Dirt settled from the destruction and sparks of electrical wire flashed every once in awhile. Hensō began his pace towards the carnage he created. He looked to his left as he passed the first car to strike the ground. The front side was squashed down in layers like a sandwich, resting vertically on its face. The engine had caught fire, and oil was leaking from a protruding pipe. He pushed it down on its side and checked it for any signs of what he was looking for. Nothing but the bodies of engineer crew members and the conductor. Hensō did this for each car as he made his way through. The few severely injured survivors that remained were startled when his steps creaked into the metal flooring. When they saw his mask, they cowered in fear. Most of those that could move hugged the walls to ensure they were out of his way, and Hensō paid little attention to the bloodied denizens.

Eventually, Hensō's search brought him to the second to last rail car. It resembled a hallway, similar to the design of the Kusa train, and an empty door frame leading into a bedroom. The door itself was unhinged, and Hensō stepped past it on his way in. The room looked as though it was tossed into a blender for a minute. Fragments of wooden furniture were scattered across the dented floor and a mattress was leaned against the wall. The bedframe was close by but in pieces, and a damaged ceiling fan dangled on a sturdy wire. In the corner was a steel-clad briefcase about the size of Hensō's torso. There was a padded lock that sealed it shut, and it was the only thing in the area that wasn't wrecked. There was coat of chakra surrounding the object that was made perceivable by Hensō's eyes as he approached. _This must be it_.

"You…s-stop right there," a shaky voice called from behind.

Hensō halted in his tracks and turned to see the man behind him. He stood in the doorframe with his right hand pressed against it and providing him support. In his left were a pair of scrolls. " **You wouldn't happen to have the key for this, would you?** "

"Shut your mouth," the man snarled.

He possessed purple facepaint designs and wore a drab black attire. Hensō could tell that he was prepping his chakra for battle, but it was clear to them both that the man was in no such condition. Blood stained his clothing, and there were several leaking gashes that mixed with the paint on his skin. His breathing was irregular and his lungs weren't expanding properly, indicative of rib fractures. The man flinched when moving the arm holding the scrolls but was able to point it towards Hensō. "I take it you're responsible…"

The man unraveled the two scrolls and from them came an eruption of summoning smoke. The thick mist cleared to reveal the man standing with a pair of puppets on either side.

" **You're going to make this much harder than it needs to be…** "

"As if..! Crow! Black Ant!"

There was a sly grin underneath Hensō's mask when the puppets charged towards him. They each had several multi-jointed arms, and in each joint and palm was a blade. Crow arrived first. His right arms swiped across the air where Hensō stood, but the masked one was able to duck and evade. The Black Ant swooped around from the direction Hensō was headed and swung its bladed arms. Again, Hensō was able to leap out of the way and land over the briefcase. It was picked up and used as a blunt weapon for the pursuing puppets, knocking them out of his way. When Hensō leapt towards him, the puppeteer attempted to escape the constriction of the railcar. Hensō's heel dented the outward wall of the car, just missing the retreating man. The boy quickly darted down the hall as the puppeteer tugged his fingers and forced his minions after him. Wooden bodies and weapons clanked and clamored inside the narrow hallway until they chased Hensō out and emerged into the openness of the valley.

Hensō jumped to the helm of the train car and watched as the puppets regrouped with their master. The briefcase was held at his left side and he took the time to further examine his opponent. _Puppet ninjutsu, huh. He's vulnerable at close range, I shouldn't waste my time._ With that decision, Hensō launched his assault. However, getting close was easier said than done. The puppet master was proficient at keeping his distance, and Hensō was continuously intercepted by the clattering weapons. With his free hand, Hensō drew his own weapon and parried their repetitive strikes. The blades clashed and their bodies tossed. The puppets were relentless, attacked from almost every angle, and of course, showed no signs of fatigue while doing so. Hensō's skills were put to the test, but with his lone arm, he was able to fend them off as they drove him away from the puppeteer.

Ant was the clunkier of the two. Its strikes were powerful and heavy, and in its hands were sturdy but blunt weapons. Crow was fast. This puppet dished out most of the blows that Hensō had to deflect. Every few moments, Ant would swoop in with a barrage of strikes. Its weapons ricocheted off Hensō's steel and bore holes in the earth when they hit the ground. One of the weapons was lodged into the earth, and even though Hensō wielded his sword, he was able to weave a series of hand seals. The stone underneath Ant crackled and clumped up around several of its arms, trapping it in place. Hensō then bashed Crow out of his way with the briefcase and used this opportunity to disable the other. Ant was still struggling to free itself when Hensō dashed towards it. The masked one launched forward, leading with the sole of his boot. Unfortunately, there was no destructive contact. The hull of Ant's body opened up for Hensō to fly right in. He thudded into the hollow puppet and all the light vanished after several loud clicks.

On the outside, Crow had dismantled itself into its respective limbs. Each one unveiled another straight blade and floated within the air above the Black Ant. Hensō beat against the inner walls but there wasn't enough leverage for him to break through.

"Secret Black Technique: Iron Maiden…"

With another tug of the finger, the floating appendages slammed into the thin openings of Ant's hull. It culminated with Crow's head planting itself next to the Ant's and forced the neck-blade inside. Any individual would have been skewered in an instant. Thus, the puppet master let out a sigh of relief at his victory.

" **Did you think it would be that easy?** "

The man's heart throbbed at the sound of the voice behind him. He whipped his arm around on reflex. Hensō leaned out of the way and dragged his sword down the man's body. The puppet master was able to reduce the strike to a slight graze by evading but wasn't fast enough for the spinning side kick that drove Hensō's heel into his stomach. "Gak!"

The force of the strike knocked the wind out of his lungs, churned up a cough of blood, and launched him back a few meters before he hit the ground. He clenched his fingers to shed Crow's limbs from Ant and used the clunky puppet to sneak up behind the masked attacker. However, Hensō saw the chakra threads around him and was able to detect Ant's presence. His bladed hand casted another set of one handed seals, and when Ant drew near Hensō's flak, it was intercepted by jaws of solid stone that folded out of the ground. Wooden fragments erupted as Ant's armor collapsed between the earthen slabs.

After destroying the puppet, Hensō dashed for his target. At the same time, a reassembled Crow flew down in front of the puppet master and converged on Hensō. The briefcase found its way into the air. Two hands gripped the hilt of the wakizashi. In a swift slash, Hensō ripped his arms down from over his head and cleaved the puppet in two clean halves. As the wood rattled against the ground behind him, the masked one rushed forward. He led with the tip of the sword ready to pierce. Meanwhile the injured puppet user was immobilized, still stunned from the previous attack. With no remaining defenses, the blade punctured his skin.

"Kankuro!"

At the sound of the feminine voice, a jet stream of wind-induced chakra tunnelled through the valley, focused on Hensō himself. Its force lifted him from his feet and blasted him a few meters from Kankuro's general vicinity. Regardless, Hensō was able to regain his composure after several seconds. His feet planted against the ground and let the wind style howl over his crouched, guarded body. A handful of sharp rips tore into the fabric he wore. Eventually the force tapered away and the rush of wind chakra vanished. Hensō dropped his arms. " **Quite the draft in this valley,** " he remarked.

Hensō's attention shifted towards the woman. It was another survivor of the crash. She wielded a giant war fan with a black-steel body. It was unfolded and revealed a pair of purple circle designs, all while being lodged into the ground. This was the woman's upright support, after all. Her knees gently buckled underneath her weight until they gave in and collapsed into the ground. Fractures in the legs perhaps. Like Kankuro, she was heaving for air. There was a piece of her robe missing at the left arm and a patch of murky garnet that replaced it. From what Hensō could see of her behind the fan, it was obvious that she'd suffered several other grave injuries. Most of her sandy blonde hair was tied into four pigtails, but the rest was matted to her forehead by a stinging mix of sweat and blood that smeared a majority of her face.

"Temari..! Get the hell out of here," demanded Kankuro as he struggled to pick himself up.

"Ack," she coughed, "…are you insane?"

"Can't you see I've got it under control?"

"Control?! If it wasn't for me you'd be dead right now…"

" **The woman is right, Kankuro** ," Hensō agreed. He was making his way over to the briefcase that just hit the ground. " **You're both in no shape to fight. Let me get what I came here for, and we can all walk away…well, most of us.** "

"Tsk! You think we'll just sit down while you waltz about? You're a criminal to the Land of Wind, punishable by death"—now on his feet, Kankuro lifted his hand—"that crappy mask won't save you!"

Limbs of the Crow puppet that were still intact sprung from the ground and flashed their poisoned blades. With a tug of Kankuro's fingers, they straightened out and fired like darts at their target's blindside.

" **The void awaits.** "

The voice was behind Kankuro again, and his blades struck the spot where just an instant ago, Hensō was located. He nor Temari were able to comprehend what they saw in that split second. The criminal simply vanished into the ground underneath him like a phantom. Before Kankuro could react to Hensō's new position, the criminal's elbow found a home in the middle of his back and three of his central vertebrae were bashed out of place. Kankuro's knees were kicked out, and Hensō clamped onto the man's head as he fell backwards. Black carbon-fiber gloves yanked at the man's bruised skin, and he was forced to stare up into Hensō's mask. Kankuro's pupils tightened as he focused beyond the dark skull and into the void eye sockets they possessed. Then came a bloody flash of light, and Kankuro's pupils dilated.

The colors of reality ascended, but when he blinked, Kankuro was falling away from it all. The sensation was nothing like free-falling through; he was being dragged down, tugged from his back. The darkness that encased him was stifling. The light in his eyes vanished just as quickly as the world did, and he could no longer see himself, only feel. Then came pain. First, against his back; he'd broken the surface barrier of some body of water and was swallowed by it. Kankuro felt and heard the bubbles of air escaping his throat when he opened his mouth to scream, yet the sound of his voice was vacant. Something was choking at his windpipe, a collection of ghostly hands. He felt them against his heart now, squeezing and tugging at it. Kankuro wasn't able to comprehend how he could experience such agony and emptiness in his chest at the same time. At last, color revealed itself to him again within the darkness he was submerged in. Unfortunately, it was just the same red light.

Kankuro's petrifying screams echoed throughout the valley. Hensō dropped his body to the ground in the midst of his sporadic movements. The man flailed himself about the torn up ground as if something crawled underneath his skin. His eyes were absent; the sclera, iris and pupil all a shade of pitch.

"What th-what did you do to him," Temari seethed.

" **No clue. It's just something I do…I suppose I put him to sleep in a way.** "

"You're sick!"

Temari pressed her weight onto her good leg and used it as support to use her war fan. The body was expanded to its fullest, revealing the third circle, and in a fit of rage the weapon was brandished across her chest. From it emerged a force of chakra that soaked into the air, pushing a solid cyclone of oscillating wind blades in Hensō's direction. As they encroached and consumed his body, Temari fell to her knees again. The war fan dropped to her side and she pressed her hands into the dirt. Her head hung between her shoulders which allowed her to see the ground just beneath her. The woman's eyes shut out of exhaustion, but when they opened, there were a pair of black boots there. Her vision tilted up to see Hensō's looming body and ghoulish visage. Then came his shin. Hensō's punt whipped her head around and bored her into the hull of the nearest rail car. "You know… you should really be less stubborn," Hensō suggested as he approached her. He tapped her cheek but there was no response. Then he focused his attention elsewhere, patting down the frame of her body until he came across a concealed obstruction. " **Ah…so you're the one who had it…** "

Without shame, Hensō reached into her clothing and withdrew a large steel key. After examining it for a moment he walked by Kankuro, who still writhed against the ground with horrid screams, to retrieve the briefcase. For extra reassurance, the key was applied and the seals unraveled with a click. The locks loosened and a spring mechanism automatically raised the cover. " **So that's why this thing is so heavy…they paid in gold bars. Seems like everything is here.** "

The case was shut and fastened. Hensō stood, let out a sigh and lowered his head into his right palm. The eye that it covered was irritating him. Still with his free eye, he examined what he'd done and gone through to complete his mission. When it didn't seem like anyone else would try to attack, Hensō relaxed his chakra and proceeded towards his original perch. However, he stopped briefly to look back. Survivors were crawling out from within the mangled railcars, but since they were of no concern to him any longer, he left them in the valley. This included the tortured Kankuro and the unconscious Temari. Before he left of course, he had to finish his bento.

* * *

Lord Kigawa, Ginzen, and Tanoshimi were having dinner later that night along with several other members of the Feudal Lord's immediate family when Hensō barged into the room. All eyes were directed to him when the shōji door skidded to a cracking halt, and the large metal briefcase was tossed to the ground with a _clunk_!

" **Delivery,** " Hensō greeted.

Kigawa's jaw dropped. He fell out of his seat and stumbled over to the briefcase resting on the floor. "He did it…he did it! Haha! Unbelieveable! But, they've surely sealed it…they have—"

Hensō tossed Kigawa the key before he could finish, causing the old man to juggle before catching it. The lord fell to his knees above the briefcase and unlocked the seal. Once again the spring mechanism opened the case and revealed several layers of glistening, golden slabs. Kigawa's aged eyelids weren't able to open wide enough to take in all the refracting light. The trembling of his hands stopped when he reached in to lift a bar. It was like fragile glass resting in his palms. "This is our gold," he confirmed, examining the rest of the case. "How did you do this?!"

" **The train…broke down.** "

Kigawa turned in awe towards Ginzen. The blue-eyed man was surprised to see Hensō return with their prize. His expectations were exceeded, and it put a sly grin on his face. He turned to face his sister who was already smiling at him. "I see I must trust your intuition more," Ginzen complimented.

"Nay, it was all our friend Hensō."

She looked towards the masked agent. "I take it you had no issue completing task, yes?"

" **Of course not, now what's your plan for the bank.** "

"Quite the eager one, aren't you?"

" **Tsk.** "

"I'm curious to hear your ideas for this as well," Ginzen added, which startled Tanoshimi for a second.

"Ahem...we would need a small team, perhaps three to four individuals to infiltrate as well as a scout of the general area. Infiltration itself shouldn't be an issue with Hensō's abilities. Likewise, I've already sent out another of our agents, Kenji, on reconnaissance."

" **Kenji..? You mean you've had this planned from the start,** " Hensō growled.

"It's never a poor option to research the circumstances of potential allies when on diplomatic business such as ours. Those who are well prepared make the most calculated, successful decisions."

" **And what if I didn't succeed?** "

"Well that wouldn't be in your best interest now would it?"

Hensō gave her a blank stare underneath his mask and then smiled. " **Yes, you're right.** "

He chuckled in silence to himself.

"Before we worry about carrying out the heist, we must be prepared to handle the consequence of ambushing that train. I'm certain word has already gotten to Suna about the status of their payment…"

"What in blazes are we going to do? Surely they will suspect us," Kigawa fretted.

"They may suspect, but they won't be able to prove it. We'll make sure of that."

The old Lord responded, "How can you be so confident that they won't?"

"In order for the train to have been attacked, it had to have been done by someone who knew that the tax currency would be aboard. Fingers will be pointed at you yes, but it was not done by any shinobi under your brand, or shinobi that you were publically affiliated with. Then they'll suspect under the cover hire of mercenaries. Still, they have no transaction logs to trace for any payments. They have no phone calls to tap or monitor, and no computer data to go through tying you to us. Their investigations will eventually run dry, but we will need something to further draw attention from you."

" **A** _ **Migawari**_ ," Henso interjected.

Kigawa sprang up and pointed towards him. "Yes!"

Tanoshimi turned to Henso. "Pardon? That's one of the few words in your language I've yet to learn…"

" **Someone or something to take the blame—a scapegoat.** "

"Ah…yes, that's what I was implying. Did you have any specific ideas?"

" **Perhaps…** "

* * *

Double doors slammed open and left cracks in the walls as the fifth Kazekage stormed into the lobby of the emergency room. Everyone looked to see him sifting through the crowd of visitors and patients, and chatter arose as to why he was there. When the receptionist caught his approaching gaze, from behind a patient filling out paperwork, he immediately shuffled amongst the objects on the desk until he picked up the phone. The patient, puzzled by the receptionist's behavior, spun around to see the incoming Kage. They stepped out of the way without hesitation.

Gaara planted his hands against the counter and before he could speak, the receptionist hung the phone. "R-Right this way, sir!"

Gaara was escorted to his destination by a male nurse, followed by a squad of Suna Anbu guards. He traversed the corridors of a hospital located in a city called Kairo on the eastern border of the Land of Wind. It was the medical facility nearest to the wreckage of a certain Suna-Express train carrying classified cargo. The group pushed through three sets of thin double doors before entering the critical condition wing. The perimeter was filled with beds, almost all of them with their curtains tucked. Rolls of gauze and bandage wraps crawled along the ground. Medical-nin were flying across the room and as the Kazekage motioned himself about the people, he glanced around. Monitors shrieked and physicians barked orders. To the left he saw an unconscious man with a needle being plunged into his arm, then a scream bounced off the wall from up ahead. On the way to this side of the hospital, Gaara had heard muffled sounds of such, but couldn't figure out what they were. It was all clear to him now when he passed by a bed to his right. Several nurses male and female held another man down as the doctor forced a fractured humerus bone—protruding through the skin—back into his arm. Further ahead was woman being jolted by the voltage of a defibrillator.

"Clear!"

 _Zap!_

Every patient the Kazekage saw was torn, bloodied, and suffering. There were several other hallways within the wing, but the group continued straight. They passed by half a dozen beds with bloodstained sheets draped over the faces of those laying on them as they left, but Gaara stopped to look. He shut his eyes and lowered his head.

"Those patients were from the crash," the nurse finally mentioned. "B-But your siblings were moved out of the CC several hours ago, Lord Kazekage…"

"As much as that comforts me…I can't help but grieve for these men and women. They were citizens of the Land of Wind, of Sunagakure…"

"Come, my Lord," one of the female Anbu insisted. "I apologize but there was nothing we could do about this."

"There is always something you can do," the Kazekage asserted before bowing his head in brief prayer.

The group came upon the destination a few minutes later, and the nurse held the door open as the Suna entourage filed in. "If you need anything, you can use the phone on the wall there to call," he said before being nodded off by one of the guards.

The two patients laid across from each other on opposite sides of the room, and when Gaara stepped in from among his security, the male turned his head to face him.

"Kankuro…"

"Save it, don't worry about me. I'll be alright."

Kankuro spoke by weakly motioning his IV'd arm and with his eyelids draped. There were dark-shaded pigments underneath his bagged eyelids, and his skin was slate pale. Gaara gulped down and turned to the other side. His sister was motionless in her bed with a folded cloth covering her eyes and didn't respond to his presence.

"She'll be fine too," Kankuro reassured, "she's got a few minor fractures and took a hit to the head, but she's as tough as ever, hehe."

"What the hell even happened..?"

Kankuro sighed, "Take a seat."

Gaara complied. He drew the beige, cushioned chair from the wall by Kankuro's side and sat to face him. "Go on."

"We were attacked."

Something clenched in Gaara's chest.

"It was some ninja… at least I think it was a ninja…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…whatever it was… it looked human but moved like a goddamned ghost. Had a jagged voice, definitely male. Dressed in all black clothing with a hood. No visible shinobi affiliation."

"Did you make out any facial features?"

"He didn't have any. It was just a black…skull-like face, mask maybe. Some sort of demonic shit, man."

"You sound like you've been spooked by a 'shinigami', Kankuro. Are you sure you didn't hit your head as well?"

"I know what I fuckin' saw…and then some…"

Gaara raised the left side of his browline and leaned in.

"When I fought him, he was moving around so quickly at times I couldn't even see him. He even escaped Black Ant's hull without destroying it from the inside, then somehow appeared behind me. My guess was that it was some sort of teleportation jutsu, but I've never seen anything like it before. It was as if… he could will himself in and out of existence. He was undetectable."

"And this man was strong enough to take the both of you on?"

"He's the entire reason the train crashed in the first place. It's confirmed he has some powerful earth release jutsu, whatever teleportation abilities he uses, and then…"

"What is it?"

"He has another technique…some sort of genjutsu, but at the same time it wasn't. It was like I was living a nightmare. Something was tugging at my being and the pain was fucking excruciating. It's why I'm laying in this goddamn bed. Other than that I know next to nothing."

Gaara stood from his seat and walked over to Temari's bedside, sighing on his way. "And the cargo?"

"He said our lives weren't what he was after and took the gold."

Gaara held onto Temari's limp hand.

"Gaara," Kankuro continued, "I think the Rivers Country is behind this. We must retaliate now."

"No, we don't have any proof yet, just coincidences. I don't want a repeat of Kusagakure here."

The Kazekage faced his brother. "However, we must be weary of this new criminal and whoever his affiliates are."

"Then we need to investigate the Rivers Country, Gaara."

Hesitant to respond, he glanced at his Anbu. Each of them agreed. Then he looked towards Kankuro. His brother's mind was already made up. At last, Gaara's gaze fell upon his sister, Temari, who was the most afflicted out of the three. Seeing her reminded him of what she looked forward to going back to: her family in Konoha. It struck guilt into his heart, for he was the reason she was in her current predicament. "Very well. Contact Kigawa, and get in touch with the Wind Daimyo."

* * *

Dusty clouds and specs of light painted the black canvas of the night sky. The frosty air of the desert at that time was a stark contrast to the smoldering heat of the day. Moreover, there was rarely a time when the atmosphere sat still. Howling gusts with force carried from across the country seemed to battle each other at all times, tossing around dunes of sand grayed by the lack of light. The province of Sunagakure was a moderate zone, however. Weather was rarely an issue its citizens had to worry about. Of course, they had a collection of other problems to deal with in return.

In the decade following the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Suna too had undergone expansion. Settlements developed on the slopes of the valley that fortified the original village as as well as upon the surrounding cliff tops and beyond. New defenses were erected about the perimeter of Suna's extensions, constructed by conjoined columns of earth standing forty meters. Furthermore, every building was refurbished with white granite, giving Suna a glossy new finish. No longer did the former village look like a large collection of rocky huts blending in with the desert. Like any other city, it was a sight after dark. There were no tall skyscrapers, but the neon lights of the downtown area colored the night. Underneath the gaze of the crescent moon, Hensō took in the stunning view.

Hensō stood at the edge of the cliff, staring into the vast territory of Sunagakure with the gentle wind billowing his cloak. Three full days passed since the train incident, during which Suna conducted their investigation to no avail. As Tanoshimi had planned, there was no significant evidence linking them to the crime. The train from Kusagakure was also nowhere to be found. With the Wind country momentarily warded off, it was time for Genesis to strike yet again. The city Hensō overlooked awaited him. Then came footsteps approaching from behind. Through the holes of his mask, he turned to see Kenji who was clad in a similar attire.

"Ready to go, Hensō?"

" **Yea, just about,** " he replied, fixing his gaze on the shorter individual who stood behind the older boy. They wore an encompassing black cloak with a hood that draped over most of their facial features, except for part of their mouth and chin. " **Who are you?** "

"Yuko," the young girl responded.

"She's the other Genesis agent that'll be helping us," Kenji added.

" **I've never seen her before.** "

"She's from the River country's branch. Apparently she's the best that they've produced so far."

" **I see,** " Hensō turned to her. " **Welcome to the team. I hope you'll show us what you're capable of.** "

She nodded.

Hensō switched his attention. " **I'm assuming you acquired the masks, Kenji?** "

"Goddamnit…do we seriously have to put these on?"

" **Of course, you'll need it to conceal yourselves.** "

Kenji sighed and withdrew two masks from his cloak. Before adorning his, he held Yuko's out to her. It was a style similar to Hensō's: skeletal in nature with a metallic black finish. There were no traditional teeth, just a flat-carved design with shadowed eye sockets and large, holed bolts protruding underneath the cheekbones for breathing. Kenji's had a gray-steel finish and resembled the demonic visage of a ghoulish samurai. The maw was spread open but shadowed out beneath the jagged teeth.

" **Perfect** ," Hensō complimented. " **I've been thinking of a new name for us Genesis agents, specifically this group of elites.** "

As he spoke, the bloody glow of his dojutsu ignited through the eye sockets. " **I foresee great things for us. To be more than a band of scapegoats and to take this world for our own.** "

"Are you serious," Kenji grumbled, then spoke aloud, "what did you have in mind?"

" **Reapers,** " he smirked.

It was the last thing he said before turning his back, stepping off the cliff and descending into the darkness below that awaited him.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter was a little shorter than usual but that's because I wanted to get this one out and continue progressing the story. There are more important events in the making. That being said, I'll be trying to pick up the pace in the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll be up to speed in june and I foresee the next release to be mid May.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Fav/Follow/Review! Thanks!**


	22. Remedies

**A/N: Now that june is over with I'll have more time to work on the story more often. I actually planned on posting this a few days ago but it fell behind due to editing. It should be cleaned up, but forgive me if there are any mistakes, I wanted to release this ASAP.**

 **This chapter will briefly introduce a new character while continuing on with Akua's main story. Enjoy!**

 **Ch 22**

 **Remedies**

Golden rays poured through a partition between two curtains and carved out a silhouette of light against the wall in Boruto's room. He was huddled up beneath his blankets, but the warmth of the sun peeking over the horizon was enough to stir him awake on that chilly autumn morning. Still, his bed was a soft cloud molding to his weight in which he could not lift himself from the comfort of. The covers were too cosy; they concealed his body heat and kept it at a pleasant temperature. Today was Boruto's day off and there was no need to wake up so early in the morning. At least, that was the case to him.

"Oniichan! Wake up!"

Boruto pulled the blankets over his head and tucked them underneath himself.

"Oniichan!"

Boruto's room door busted open and tiny steps thumped against his floor. The sounds disappeared for a split second, but only because the feet left the ground.

"Come on! Oniichan! It's time to go," screamed Himawari as she fell from the air and found a seat against her brother's stomach. The impact was enough to wrench him from his slumber and force the wind out of his lungs. Himawari shook her airless brother while he gasped for life. After a few minutes, he managed to restore himself.

"Hima-chan… what the hell?"

"You have to get up! You promised! Oniichan promised that he'd come to see uncle with me and Mama!"

"Ugh… fine. But why do we have to go so early?"

"Mama says it's symbolic to the Hyūga clan name."

Boruto groaned. When Himawari hopped off and began prancing around his room, he rose from the grave.

"Hurry up and get ready!"

After Boruto took his time getting dressed and brushing his teeth, he stumbled downstairs towards the kitchen area. Breakfast was prepared with Hinata and Himawari sitting around the table, but when Boruto entered, his eyebrows furrowed. "Where's dad?"

"He… didn't come home last night. He's been really busy this week," Hinata said. Her voice was soft and timid. Beneath the table, she fiddled with her hands and pressed them together, but amidst the tension she refused to divert her gaze from her son.

"Are you serious? So busy he can't even come home to his family?"

"Boruto," Hinata's voice raised. Whenever she finished speaking her mouth fell into a frown.

"No mom, it's ok," he replied, trudging to his seat across from Himawari. "He cares more about his job than us."

"Stop it, that's not true. Your father's job is to protect Konoha. He's thinking about us and everyone else."

"When's the last time you saw him, mom? Do you even know what he's doing? What's he protecting us fr—"

"Boruto!"

His voice was choked out by the intensity of his mother's. He knew better than to make her angry. "I'm sorry, mom…"

Boruto looked away from his mother's piercing white eyes to take a glimpse at Himawari who sulked while playing with her food. He was aware that she didn't like it when he or their mother were upset.

"He's working hard for you, Boruto. He's trying to bring the man behind the attack on Kojiro Lane to justice, the man that put your life and Akua's life in danger."

"Danger? Akua's life? The only life in danger was mine, and she was the reason for it."

"W-What..?" stuttered Hinata.

Boruto was staring down into his plate when he realized what he had said. Upon glancing up, he noticed the worried eyes of both his mother and sister were fixed onto him. Himawari turned to her mother. "Mama…how come we don't see Ku-chan anymore?"

"I don't know dear…that's a question for your brother," she replied with her eyes still locked onto her son. "Boruto, what happened that night? You haven't said anything or mentioned Akua ever since. Why would she—"

"It's nothing mom, okay?"

"Borut—"

He rose from his seat. "I don't want to talk about it."

Boruto was already at the door when Hinata spoke up. "It's not good to keep your feelings bottled up inside… you're only going to inflict more harm upon yourself, Boruto..."

With his back turned to them, the troubled boy lowered his head and clenched his fists.

"I don't know what occurred between you two, but the way you treated her that day all those weeks ago was… unacceptable. You left her in tears on our doorstep, Boruto, and that tells me she regretted whatever she may have done to you. She came to you for comfort and you…"—Hinata was halfway out of her seat—"…you just weren't able to see it. Couldn't you tell she was in pain, Boruto? She's never met her father, she's lost her mother, and now…"

Hinata paused. Boruto wasn't able to see her face sink into a pout, but he could feel himself shaking from her words.

"I remember on the day of the incident, I ran into the Akua in the library," Hinata started. "I sat down with her and we had a quick chat. Eventually our conversation fell on the topic of love. She didn't seem to understand what it truly meant so I tried my best to explain it to her. It never really occurred to me how much she reminded me of myself when I was younger, and when I look at this situation now, I can understand why she was curious."

"You aren't making any sense, mom. You two aren't the same in the slightest, at least not anymore. That person… the Akua I knew, vanished that night. I don't know who, or what replaced her."

"Vanished..? Based off what, Boruto?"

Hinata was standing now with one of her hands gently clenched and held against her chest.

"Because—"

"Did you ever give her a chance to explain herself?"

"No…I—"

"There's always more than one side to a story, Boruto."

"…I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Boruto shut the door behind him as soon as he walked out and went back to his room. From the comfort of his bed, he heard the clatter of plates as his mother and sister cleaned up after their meal. A few moments later, he heard the front door open and close. There was nothing but the quiet of his room and the finches that chirped among branches of the tree in his yard.

As much as Boruto attempted to return to slumber, a burning sensation pierced through his chest. It progressed to an unbearable point, forcing him to clutch the flesh that shielded his heart. There were only a few things that he could deduce it as. The first was the most physical: a simple heartburn, but he'd never received one before. This led him to believe it was something that teetered on the emotional side. At that moment, he realized the promise between him and his sister was broken. Boruto was prepared to visit their uncle's grave, but he could longer bare to be around his mother after such a heated confrontation. However, that reason still didn't explain his pain. He was afraid of Akua being mentioned again. The name used to be an omen, but now it brought back memories, all because his mother had to dig up a part of him that he was trying to lock away.

The sun was at its peak altitude in the sky, but Boruto had yet to move from his position in bed. His gaze was locked onto the blankness of the ceiling. To others, that was all it was. However in his eyes, it was the canvas in which he relived that dreadful night. The events flashed before him repeatedly over the several hours that he laid motionless. Bloody crimson eyes were etched into his mind. It was the first time he'd seen a fully matured Sharingan in person. Setting that aside from the carnage around it would have mesmerized him, but he wasn't able to disassociate them with murder. Blood splashed across his view and made him wince. He saw it again and again. Arms were flying, severed from the torsos that they were attached to. The street was a river of dark liquid, causing stains that he still couldn't get out of the clothing he wore. Though, the lack of remorse was the most vivid image to him; the brutality, the relentlessness. Then light, there was a crackling, pale light in his ceiling that spread out in array of blinking veins. Lightning smothered his face. Boruto shut his eyes and his screams threw him out of his bed.

"What the hell am I doing…"

He was panting on his hands and knees, then shook his head. After rising to his feet, he looked outside to gauge the time of day even though there was a digital clock on his bedside table. "Already noon huh…"

His voice tapered off and he turned around to find his phone. "I need to get my mind off this…"

As Boruto clicked through the device, he noticed there was still silence in the house. Hinata and Himawari had yet to return, which was normal for them. However, he wasn't planning on being home when they did.

Boruto decided lunch with his friends would do the trick, so he called up Mitsuki, Shikadai, and Inojin to see where they all were. He knew Mitsuki would have the day off as he did, but the other two were a question. It became harder to plan hangouts now that they were no longer academy students on the same schedule. They were full fledged shinobi that underwent missions with their own squads. Fortunately today, all three were free. They met up at their favorite burger restaurant and like always, Boruto was the last to show even though he'd organized the meeting. "What the hell man, you think everything runs on your time don't ya, Boruto," Shikadai complained.

Boruto waltzed in with a wide smile on his face regardless. Mitsuki was used to this behavior as his teammate. Inojin on the other hand didn't comment on his punctuality. He elected to bring up a more sensitive topic. "Hey Boruto, where's that girl you always ditched us for?"

The world froze. It was as if time stopped around the vicinity of the four boys. Boruto's shoulders twitched and his smile was absent.

"Oh, you mean Akua," Shikadai added.

A stake ran itself through Boruto's chest. Mitsuki held his head down and sighed.

"Oh you know her?"

Shikadai shrugged in response to his teammate. "Hardly."

"Can we stop talking about her, please," Boruto interrupted.

"Tsk, what's the matter, she break up with you or something?" Inojin teased. He was still clueless when it came to interpreting moods during social interactions.

"No…let's just go eat, I'm freakin' hungry."

While his friends devoured their meals, Boruto played with his food. Only two small bites were taken out of the burger. A few fries were eaten, but the rest were scattered across his tray. He had a fry between his fingers, dipping it in and out of a small cup of ketchup, when Shikadai took notice.

"What's the deal, Boruto? You've haven't been acting like yourself for weeks."

"What are you talkin' about? I'm perfectly fine," he replied with a crooked smile.

"You can't fool me, I can see behind that little guise you've been trying to put up, making it seem like you're okay and normal but you're not."

Boruto's smile vanished into a frown.

"So what is it? I can tell it's been eating away at you for awhile."

Boruto dropped his face into his palms and remained silent. Hunched onto the table with his head supported by a palm, Shikadai glanced at the other two boys with his lazy expression before his eyes fell on Boruto again.

"You know I've seen her recently, Akua I mean."

Boruto's head sprang up. "Y-You've actually seen her?"

"Oh…so that's it huh? I visited Aunt Kurenai's house a few days ago and saw Akua there for a second with Mirai. Guess Inojin was right 'bout her breaking up with you."

"No, it wasn't a break up… I've just stopped talking to her all together," Boruto corrected.

"Kojiro Lane messed you up that bad?"

Boruto's eyes widened upon Shikadai's speculation. "How did you know it had to do with that..?"

"Well ever since then you haven't really been yourself. My guess is you've been hung up on whatever happened that night."

Boruto's response was caught in his throat.

"I think she is as well," Shikadai added.

"Why do you say that," Inojin inquired.

"She just looked… different compared to the last time I saw her in person at the academy."

Boruto managed to speak up. "Different?"

"Aside from her hair growing a bit, she looked less lively, tired even; like she hadn't slept in forever. When I looked into her eyes I felt a chill down my spine. She had this vicious presence about her and I honestly wanted no parts. Kept my distance."

"Aren't all Uchiha like that though? I mean look at Sarada," Inojin joked.

"It wasn't the same," Shikadai continued, "all I can say is, whatever you think you're going through, Boruto, it's hit her 100 times worse. And that's coming from me, someone who wasn't even there. It's pretty obvious. So what are you upset for, why'd you stop talking to her?"

"Because of what you just said. She isn't the same, and I want no parts."

"But you were one of her only friends weren't you? Why would you just change your mind like that?"

"You weren't there. You didn't see what I saw."

Inojin cut in again. "You know I heard a bunch of foreign ninja got into the village that night during the attack and she beat them all. Pretty cool if you ask me."

"It wasn't cool, it was murder. She slaughtered them all…she didn't even seem human. And then…"

Boruto paused realizing that he'd risen his voice and said too much.

"Then what?" Inojin wondered.

Everyone at the table tuned in, but Boruto didn't respond to that question.

"Look at it this way," Shikadai suggested, "do you think you'd still be alive if she wasn't there to do that?"

"I wouldn't even be in this situation if it wasn't for her. She lied to me, lied about everything. And because I believed her I was almost killed. By her."

"Killed? You never told us this, Boruto," Mitsuki mentioned. There was a frown of concern on his face.

"Because I'm trying to forget."

"You really think you'd be okay if you just forgot everything? Are you even capable?"

Boruto sighed and sunk his head into his palms. "I don't know…"

Shikadai leaned back into his seat and came to a conclusion. "Well maybe you should—"

"WELL LOOK WHO IT IS," boomed an obnoxious voice they were all familiar with. The sound came from across the room after they heard the restaurant doors burst open. In came the stand out personality of the Akimichi Clan, Chocho. Following behind her with her arms folded and an uninterested expression was Sarada, as well as a third girl, one they all knew as a friend of theirs from the academy. Mitsuki greeted the girls with a smile. The other boys weren't very ecstatic for their arrival.

"What the hell are you doing here, Chocho? This is our turf," Shikadai declared.

"I didn't see your name on it, Shika-chan! Besides, this is one of my favorite places."

He rolled his eyes.

Boruto stared at Sarada when she stepped in and he didn't look away until she noticed his gaze.

"Boruto! Boruto, why are you wasting your food," Chocho cried, referring to the hardly touched burger and his full carton of french fries.

He took a while to answer. "I'm not that hungry."

"Boruto's having trouble getting over his old female-friend, Akua," Inojin teased.

"Akua?! Oh please… who needs her?"

"Chocho, don't say that," Sarada scolded.

"What? But Sarada you—"

"That was the past. I didn't know we were related."

"Fine," Chocho huffed. She trotted over to Boruto and patted his back as she lowered her voice to his ear. "Listen Boru-chan…forget that crazy girl, look over there"—she pointed towards the third girl—"Sumire's so cute ain't she. Ya need to go talk to her."

Sumire noticed Chocho's gesture. Upon witnessing her friend speak into Boruto's ear, she was able to put two and two together and panicked. Boruto's gaze frightened her into a tremble. The girl's cheeks burned bright pink and her heart raced. Immediately, she turned around so that no one could see her face, whipping braided ponytails of purple hair.

"Sumire…" Boruto mouthed to himself.

"Used to be in our class? Straight A's at the academy? I mean, how could you do any better?"

"Chocho, p-please," Sumire stammered while speaking at the door, "this is inappropriate…we came here for lunch!"

Chocho erupted into a fit of laughter that garnered attention from all customers within the restaurant. Sarada rolled her eyes at the interaction and headed towards the register while the other three boys acclimated to Chocho's irreplaceable presence. Then Boruto did something his friends weren't expecting him to do, considering the way he had been acting. However, it happened regardless. Although it was short-lived, the three boys couldn't help but to notice a few giggles.

* * *

The Land of Grass was a country divided into ten provinces, each managed by one of Jurou Hideyoshi's councilmen—the governors of their respective territories. The only territory that didn't fall under their jurisdiction was the Kusagakure region. These individuals were responsible for the function of all three aspects of government within the region: executive, legislative, and judicial. They were also in charge of levying their own taxes and the collection of those dues. Every province had its own collection of towns, cities, and villages. Each municipality had a senator that sat on the councilman's board. Unfortunately, there was very little democracy despite the structure of the Land of Grass's government. The purpose of such organization was to distribute the responsibilities of running the country. Jurou Hideyoshi had the final say in every circumstance as the Feudal Lord, if he so desired. As each issue was brought to him, he'd say either yes or no while being massaged, pampered, and fed by his servants. Moreover, a majority of the Grass Country's operations were not in the best interest of the people, but in the best interest of Jurou. Because of that, there were growing suspicions from foreign powers about the state of the nation.

Tokuno Ieyasu was one of the youngest councilmen at about thirty-seven years old with thinning brown hair that was cut short and combed back with styling gel. His features included a pair of slanted eyes, a thin nose, a mouth whose corners sagged and a tiny patch of chin hair. He carried himself pompously and was never seen without his kimono and hakama. There was a katana strapped to his side, but it was only for show. It was a rare occasion for him to have to defend himself. Ieyasu had guards around him at all times, dressed a more maneuverable variant of the Kusa shinobi attire and armed with their own weapons.

Ieyasu currently resided in one of his many estates, located in the second largest of the Grass's eastern provinces. Partnering himself with Jurou's family businesses, covertly and publically, made Tokuno Ieyasu wealthy enough to enjoy such luxuries. This particular abode, called the Yamagawa Estate, was built against the wide slope of a short mountain, shrouded by a pallet of green shrubs and forestry. It was as extravagant as the everlasting temples one would find throughout the land and constructed with similar architectural style in mind. There was a modern touch to this estate, however. It fashioned three floors, dim interior lighting, and a paved walkway down to the foot of the mountain. Yamagawa was where Ieyasu spent most of his time when overseeing the operation of Jurou's illegal drug production and distribution in the east. He worked in cooperation with three other councilmen and their respective provinces. The other five weren't in Jurou's inner circle, including the sixth which he murdered a few months prior.

It was an hour past midnight, and Ieyasu sat at an arched, dark oak desk in a cushioned seat. The room was half-oval shaped with the double doors centering the straight edge while window panes curved around the circumference. Furthermore, five jonin guards were stationed about the perimeter. The desk faced the doors and sat in front of the glass, however behind Ieyasu was a solid wall where several monitors were mounted. LED's from three active monitors added much needed light to the room along with the gleam of the moon. Displayed within them were the people that Ieyasu conferenced with. "Have your personnel gathered data on your regional profits yet," Ieyasu asked.

"Yes," the intended councilman responded. "Unfortunately our profits this month have decreased by about ten percent."

Ieyasu slammed his fist against the edge of his desk. "The fucking hell!? What for!?"

"Production facilities in the north have been getting cracked down upon, it can't be helped. Supply is running low here so we've had to crank up the price… now they're turning to alternatives."

"God damn it…who's shutting down the facilities..? We should have control of the la—"

"It's Konoha, you buffoon! Their Anbu is hounding the business."

Ieyasu massaged his temples. "How much do they know..?"

One of the councilmen responded. "They've got a lead about Jurou's involvement…that damned Koba got himself apprehended in Tanzaku. It isn't much, but now they've got an idea on how to cripple us."

"How do we alleviate ourselves if he gets captured..? We're done for if they find out we're accomplices," said another.

"Shut up," Ieyasu shouted. "They don't have solid proof. Besides, they'll never find Jurou, and they'll never suspect us. There's no evidence of our involvement that they can find anyway."

He leaned back into his cushioned chair and folded his arms. "Even if they did somehow incriminate Jurou, it wouldn't matter. We're above the law, and Ginzen's people will protect us."

"What about the Genesis Program we've been funding," another mentioned.

"Yes, they'll be our most valuable asset against Konoha's forces. More and more of those children are turning into full fledged agents now…it'd be foolish not to use them."

There was a knock on Ieyasu's door. Each guard took immediate caution and braced themselves until they heard the voice of the councilman's premier butler. "Ieyasu-sama, you have a call on the secure line."

"Is it my wife? I said I wasn't taking any calls tonight!"

"It's Ginzen-sama…"

"Ginzen?!"

Ieyasu rummaged through the contents of his desk to pick up the receiver. The other three councilmen sat in silence, curious as to why Ginzen would be contacting him at that hour.

"Hello? What the hell are you calling this line for?"

"I suggest you quiet down."

Ieyasu felt like he'd been tossed into a tundra at the sound of the man's voice, yet was wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead at the same time. "I-I don't need to listen to you."

"I would, if you want to get through the night in one piece," Ginzen warned.

"What are you talking about?"

Ginzen let out a chuckle over the line. "Your location has been compromised, Tokuno-san. My sources have informed me that Konoha Anbu will be closing in on your position within the hour. I suggest you evacuate the premises."

"Impossible! On what grounds!"

"Who knows. Tis what those tyrants do. But I suppose they've discovered some trace of your…extended involvement with Jurou."

The councilmen in the monitors watched as Ieyasu kicked his desk and cursed the world, wondering what Ginzen could have been saying to make him so agitated.

"But how… how did they find. Me," the troubled man continued. He was on his feet now.

"You're asking the wrong person, Tokuno. Perhaps there's been a leak among your personnel. I'm simply informing you of what my scouts discovered."

"Fuck!"

"Worry not my friend, I've dispatched reinforcements. They should arrive shortly. Anyhow, it was a pleasure speaking with you, Tokuno. Goodnight."

"Wait..! Ginzen! Don't yo—"

The call died.

"God damnit!" Ieyasu yelled as he smashed the receiver into pieces against the desk. He leaned against the desk with his palms and sunk his head to catch his breath.

"Ieyasu! What did he say?" a councilman asked.

"Konoha…is on their way here…"

"What? But you—"

"Shut up!"

One of Ieyasu's guards approached him. "Sir, if I heard correctly, then we must get you to safety at once."

"Yes, yes..! Rally your men, and dispose of everything related to the funjin business!"

Two of his guards complied, rushing out of the room to warn the rest of the security force. Ieyasu on the other hand crumbled back into his chair and covered his face with a palm. One could almost see the stress radiating off his body.

"Ieyasu, get off your ass!" yelled one of the councilmen. "You need to freeze your fucking accounts and burn that goddamn house down, we can't let them trace anythi—"

In the midst of his sulking, Ieyasu became puzzled by the councilman's abrupt silence. He made a sharp twist of his chair to see the monitors behind him a blur of black and white static. His three business partners had disconnected their broadcast. Ieyasu furrowed his brow in contemplation, but that only lasted a moment. His questions were answered when he heard the tearing of flesh, the splatter of liquid, and the thuds of two objects hitting the ground. There were sounds of struggle, but they were brief and fleeting. Despite all the signals that sparked his senses, he refused to turn around towards the door. When he gulped down, his heart went with it. His body shivered as if the temperature in the room plummeted. A third object hit the ground and Ieyasu cringed. His sweaty palms clenched at his arm rest. All he could perceive now were the soft and steady footsteps of whoever accompanied him in the dark room, and each one made him flinch. Just before the steps concluded, Ieyasu mustered enough courage to move his hand to a compartment in his desk.

"Tokuno Ieyasu," beckoned a young female voice.

He didn't respond.

"You're under arres—"

"Go to hell!"

Ieyasu spun around in his chair with his weapon drawn.

* * *

An emerald surge of light erupted from the muzzle of Ieyasu's weapon with a bang that hammered into the girl's eardrums and distributed an echo that reverberated throughout the estate. It fired a streamlined projectile, backed by a burst of wind, that pierced through the air in its path. Honing in at such an unperceivable velocity would have been fatal to a regular individual, but whatever was shot at the girl missed by a few inches due to a tilt of the head. Thus, it blasted through the wall behind her. Ieyasu clenched the trigger over and over. Each time, another shot thundered off, and his arm recoiled. Unfortunately for him, the masked girl danced around them.

In the middle of Ieyasu's fire, a pair of shuriken zipped across the room and pinned into his right wrist. The force was enough to knock the weapon out of his hand, causing him to reel back in pain. Ieyasu scramble towards his only defense, but the Anbu was already upon him. She appeared behind his desk and sent him flying through the wood with the torque of her roundhouse. Ieyasu landed in a puddle of warmth at the center of the room. The man shrieked when he realized he was laying in the blood of his three jonin guards. He slipped and tossed around in fear before managing to crawl away, but the Anbu tugged at his collar. "You aren't going anywhere."

"Fuck off!" he cried as he drew his katana. His left arm whipped behind him towards the girl, but she kicked a fracture into his ulna and sent the blade into the wall.

"Crafty man, aren't you?" the girl mocked before throwing him into the mounted monitors behind them. Screens shattered and busted fuses sparked with wild electricity as the machines collapsed over Ieyasu's back then hit the floor where the remnants of his desk were scattered. She approached again as he gathered himself on hands and knees.

"Show your face, coward! Do you know who you're dealing wit—"

Another kick struck his jaw and shut the edges of his tongue between his teeth. Ieyasu's back hit the wall, and he fell to a seat against it while covering his bloody mouth.

"I shwear…" he murmured with his swelling tongue, "I'll—"

"You'll what?"

Ieyasu witnessed the two crimson dots that gleamed from the mask's hollowed eye sockets. They pierced through the shroud of darkness in the room and boroughed into his cornea. His heart throbbed, ready to break through his ribcage, when he realized that he couldn't look away. The girl's eyes were painfully mesmerizing. The muscles in Ieyasu's throat clenched around the immovable ball of fright that he tried to swallow. She was only a foot away, standing over and glaring down at his whimpering visage. Her hand came up to her face to remove the mask. "Here it is. What will you do now?" she asked, tilting her head. There were no traces of emotion in her expression.

"Y-You're the..! The one…from the program…" he struggled to gather his breath.

"Ah, so you remember me."

"You're a national criminal…of course I fucking remember you, Akua..!"

"Well I'm here. Where are your guards?" she mocked. "Apprehend me."

Ieyasu lunged at the girl. "Give us our serum, you—!"

There was a brief flash of steel as Akua plunged Yosamu into the left end of his collarbone and pinned him back against the wall. "You're pitiful."

"GAH!" the man bawled. The effects of the sword were sinking in for him. Unlike the other three guards, his larynx wasn't severed, so there was plenty of pain to express. When it came to Yosamu however, pain was too simple a word. The anguish, strife, and agony of thousands upon thousands poured into every inch of every cell within the tiny area that encompassed his wound. Ieyasu rattled in place as blood spilled onto his clothing. The sensations were like poisonous parasites crawling underneath his skin. Although it was to a lesser extent, he could feel pain in his skull, his other arm, his stomach, and to the tips of his toes. What he felt wasn't from Akua's physical strikes; those would only leave him with bruises. This would leave him with scars he'd be unable to explain. "W-W-What…a-are! Y-You! D-Do-Doing…to m-me..?!"

"Hurts, doesn't—"

He screamed. The departing air tore at the flesh in his throat, and the entire outburst answered her unfinished question.

"I have a few things to ask you, Tokuno."

He started to hyperventilate.

"You're affiliated with Jurou's regime as Feudal Lord, yes? What can you tell me of his whereabouts? It might lighten your sentence."

"I-I…h-ha-have…n-nothing…to say…t-to—"

Akua twisted the blade in Ieyasu's shoulder and threw him into a seizure. His body spasmed. His eyes rolled into his skull, and drool foamed and dripped from the corners of his mouth. "Don't make this difficult, Ieyasu."

Something in the background buzzed in Akua's ears. It sounded like language, but she wasn't able to make sense of any of it. Her radius of focus was limited to what was in that three meter vicinity. All she could perceive was Ieyasu's incomprehensible rambling. The fact that he was bleeding out became less apparent to her due to her current condition. Somewhere deep down, Akua knew what she was doing would get her nowhere, but Ieyasu's imminent death wasn't registering.

The noise returned, constant but a blur. When the distance between her and the sound decreased, she started to make gradual sense of it. The syllables were broken up, but she could hear her name. Someone was reaching out, but it was ignored.

"Kuro!" the voice called. It was practically screamed into her ear. Whoever it belonged to pulled her and the weapon away from Ieyasu. "Are you freaking deaf?" Hishiro wondered.

She didn't respond.

Hishiro startled himself when he realized he was stepping in blood. H.e had his hand around Akua's right wrist, holding the deadly katana at bay when three other Anbu ninja rushed into the room.

"What's the deal now—oh," Tozin, the other male, chimed in with a low voice. He understood what was going on after noticing the three bodies on the floor. Tōzin was the eldest of the squad and the one who had the most experience with Hishiro and Akua on missions. The back and forth between them, or rather Hishiro's scolding of Akua, was commonplace to him.

"Nothing," the Uchiha responded, pulling her arm from Hishiro's hand and brushing past him.

"This wound isn't closing…there's some sort of…ward that's preventing my medical ninjutsu," Geko informed during his treatment. He was the least accustom and most awkward member of the squad.

Akua stopped in the middle of her departure and held a single seal. Upon the action, black chakra laced with magenta highlights relinquished itself from Ieyasu's shoulder. Although it was terribly slower than normal, Geko's mystical palm began to function. "T-That's odd…" he stuttered, unaware of what Akua did.

Mirai—the other female and latest addition to the squad—stood closest to the door. She frowned underneath her mask as Akua approached and ignored her. When her friend passed, she hesitated to reach out. Ieyasu stirred back to consciousness the moment Mirai finally mustered the courage to make a move.

"W-We should'f…s-slaughtered you…and the r-rest of your…blasted family when we…had the chance," the man mentioned while slouched against the wall.

Akua paused in the doorway. "…What..?"

"Yes…you, your DEAD mother…" he continued, lurching from his seat on emphasis.

Akua's crimson gaze shot back over her shoulder. "Shut your mouth…"

Hishiro mouthed the word 'shit' underneath his mask.

"And your damned—"

A fuse snapped in Akua's mind. It was something about the way he spoke of the next person. It was hid context that made her spin around and launch herself at the man. "WHERE. IS. MY BROTHER."

It took both Tōzin and Mirai to intercept and hold her back. The Uchiha growled and screamed in wild resistance against the binding.

"Gahaha!" Ieyasu laughed.

"I'LL KILL YOU," Akua roared. The force of her voice pulled and made her more of an issue to restrict. "WHEN I FIND HIM, I'LL FUCKING MURDER YOU. I'LL MURDER ALL OF YOU."

Ieyasu continued to taunt her with his cackling.

"Get her out of here!" Hishiro ordered.

"I SWEAR ON MY LIFE…I'LL BEAT YOU TO DEATH—"

The rest of her banter was muffled by Tōzin's palm, and she was dragged out the room.

* * *

The mission was completed. Ieyasu was apprehended and sealed into a scroll for ease of transport. Hishiro and Geko spent the next thirty minutes stripping and searching the councilman's estate. Following Akua's outburst, Tōzin regrouped with the others, and she was escorted into the hedge-decorated courtyard by Mirai. It was the first time any of them had seen her react in such rage compared to her usual silence and apathy.

As the two females stood guard outside, Mirai heard droplets splattering against the floor. It wasn't long before she realized where they were coming from. "Hey, Shrimp?"

Akua didn't respond.

"You're bleeding," she added, regardless.

"What are you talking about?"

Mirai felt a chill when Akua looked at her. The involuntary gleam of her Sharingan was naturally intimidating. "There," Mirai directed, pointing at her friend's left side. Akua followed her finger and found a hole in her Anbu flak jacket. It was just underneath her kidney area, and it dripped with blood like Mirai mentioned.

"…That wound isn't safe," Mirai warned. "We should get Geko—"

"Leave me alone," she demanded, "I'll be fine."

"Shri—I mean… Kuro…you need medical atten—"

Akua pulled a mangled, metallic object smeared in blood, out of the wound. An uncomfortable tingle crawled down Mirai's spine at how careless she was. "What the heck is that?"

"He was shooting at me with something," Akua replied, examining the impact-damaged trinket. "This might be what it was."

"Hold on to that, will you," Hishiro requested as he stepped into the courtyard. The other two followed behind him, each with a bag full of whatever evidence they could recover. In addition, Hishiro dangled the weapon Ieyasu used to attack Akua. "We're taking this thing here, and that, in to be analyzed," he continued, examining it himself. "I've never seen anything like it."

Geko dropped his evidence bag. "Kuroshin, let me take a look at—"

"Let's go," she interrupted, "I can sense their reinforcements coming. About one hundred."

There was no hesitation. Taking on an entire company of Kusagakure shinobi by themselves would've been futile for their five-man infiltration unit. However, it was their small size, and their ability to detect the arrival of incoming shinobi, that allowed them to evacuate the scene with ease.

When Kusagakure touched down, there was nothing left in the Yamagawa Estate for them to recover. File cabinets were scavenged, bookshelves were swept, and the hard-drives of every computer in the building were confiscated. All vaults were plundered, bank statements were taken, and phones were plugged out of their power sockets. The home itself was left fairly intact, but the furniture was in shambles. Most of it was destroyed in the Anbu's search. Others had Ieyasu's guards put through them. The most disappointing discovery was the fact that there was no solid evidence linking the Konoha Black Ops to the incident, despite speculating their arrival. The entire operation left quite a sour taste in the mouths of Kusa shinobi, but there was no time for them to sulk.

* * *

The Anbu squad travelled 200 km towards the east by the time Kusagakure abandoned the councilman's extravagant castle. Skilled shinobi such as themselves left no trail behind for them to take heed of either. They were trained to move like ghosts underneath the moonlight. The only things that made themselves known within the forest were the creatures that inhabited it. The chirp of crickets, the cooing of midnight owls, and the rustling of leaves sang the night's silent melody. Not even they could notice the larger human beings moving about them.

Regardless of how disciplined someone was, completing a mission task at three in the morning would take a toll on them if it drew near 24 hours since the last time they laid in bed. Strenuous activity accompanied every hour. If they were going to make it back to Konoha in one piece, the squad needed rest. However, it was counterintuitive to have them rest outside in enemy territory where they would have no back up ready to help. Anbu teams were practically on their own when being deployed and were entirely responsible for returning without any loose ends. Of course, this was taken into account for all missions regarding the current, silent campaign within the Grass Country. As a result, several secret rest stops for the Anbu were constructed inside the nation's borders within the weeks following Konoha's decision to apprehend Jurou.

The Hokage and his advisors elected to utilize the Black Ops instead of regular forces in order to achieve their goal covertly and as quickly as possible. Moreover, the ongoing operation was kept top secret to ensure peace and tranquility remained within Konoha itself. The Seventh wanted the amount of people involved to be minimal at best. If a regular force shinobi was to be vacant from the city for extended periods of time, the Konoha government was required by law to inform the family, if requested. However, because of the nature of their missions, members of the Anbu Black Ops were exempt. This was supported by a legal agreement that every new inductee to the organization signed. Still, there was a lingering consensus of disdain among the people of Konoha against the Grass Country, and there was a small minority that advocated for blatant retaliation. Nevertheless, a war against the small nation was the last thing that the Seventh wanted.

At last, the squad halted their progress. They were still a ways journey away from their rendezvous point across the border, which was another 300 km, but it was time for them to take a break. Members of the team were perched high, hidden among the leaves of the canopy as Hishiro made his way closer to the ground. The entrance to the safehouse didn't exist to those who weren't aware of the mechanisms to find it. The first step involved revealing the seal markings embedded into the surrounding tree trunks. Hishiro did this by weaving a specific series of hand seals. After molding his chakra, the team watched as several trees revealed their kanji formula. The second step required interpreting the formula and following it towards the releasing site. Hishiro became a professional after doing it so often over the past few months. Even though each safe house had a different code, there was a common algorithm. Within a few minutes, Hishiro found himself in the right position, indicated to him by the sudden augmentation of the kanji seals. It led him to a random rock on the edge of a small clearing. The jutsu caused it to flatten to the ground and fold inward, revealing a narrow tunnel that burrowed straight into the ground. The third step was optional but recommended. This was the activation of the security measures. Hishiro wasn't the type to take chances, and therefore activated them anyway.

The vertical tunnel was a twenty-foot drop that preceded a short corridor lit by mounted lanterns. At the end, there was a metal door sitting in the middle of a reinforced steel wall with similar light sources at either side. Tōzin was the first to make his way down and was the one to unlock the door, revealing a single room large enough to accommodate thirty people. He was followed by Geko, Hishiro, Mirai, and then Akua. The room had simple furniture: couches, chairs, and tables, along with an area for beds and sleeping mats. At either side were two bathrooms and a kitchen with a ventilation system to distribute smoke or steam elsewhere. The final features were the dim ceiling lights and the vats that released warm air as part of the heating-cooling system. The entire structure was a step up from camping outside, and provided peace of mind to Anbu on such perilous missions. "Make yourself at home," Hishiro called as he stepped in, but they all know the place was far from it.

Tōzin, Mirai, and Geko took advantage of their opportunity and headed straight for the beds. Both of them set aside their weapons, put down their utility pouches, took off their black flak jackets and removed their masks. Hishiro approached a mat, skipped all of these steps except for his mask, and collapsed into his sleeping position. Akua was the last to enter and the last to even step foot near a bed. She was also the only one to lay in bed fully armed, minus removal her weapon. Within a few minutes, the shuffling and rattling of people and their equipment calmed into a snoozing silence. Everyone was fast asleep except for the Uchiha girl who laid with her eyes wide open, staring into the wall across the room and ignoring the table legs and chairs in between.

Akua waited for herself to drift off, but after half an hour she was still awake. Her eyelids hadn't budged until they squinted and shut in irritation. The girl was ready to scream out, but remembered there were others in the room. With that, she took a deep breath and relaxed herself. The next idea was to try and make herself a bit more comfortable. Part of the reason she never removed her equipment during a rest period was because she never wanted to be caught off guard. The paranoia of being unprepared was ingrained in her mind, especially when on duty. However, for her own sake, she decided to remove her mask and flak jacket. The black tank top she wore underneath her armoring was a much better alternative. With those restrictions removed, Akua laid herself back down and gently closed her eyelids. After another half hour of waiting patiently, her consciousness began to zone out. Just before she was able to drift away into the realm of slumber, she was wrenched back. A throbbing pain struck her mind. Akua's eyelids clenched. She tossed and turned as quietly as she could, but the darkness became unbearable. It was enough to force her eyes open and spring her from the sleeping mat with a yelp.

It had only been several minutes since Akua started to doze off, yet her face was drenched with bullets of sweat despite her feeling chilled to the bone. She dragged in gallons of air as she gasped with her eyelids stapled open. Trembling arms rested in her lap as the girl sat up with a hunch in her back. Akua gulped, and after calming down, she glanced around the room to see if anyone woke. Fortunately, they seemed to be undisturbed, but Akua's sigh of relief was cut short by a wince of pain. Her palm pressed against her side and felt a damp warmness. It was apparent even in the dimness of light that this was her blood. The wound she sustained was bearing down upon her. Akua came to the conclusion that she couldn't ignore it any longer, but also that she would receive no sleep that night.

Akua picked up her katana and slipped outside the safehouse without making a sound. The moon was still high and bright in the sky when she made it to the surface. There was a wide, flat-top boulder near the tunnel where she went to sit. Even though there were defense mechanisms in place, Akua decided to be a lookout. If she couldn't rest, at least she'd be doing something worth staying up for. Her sensory ability made her the ideal candidate for such a position anyway. With that thought, she sighed and tended to her wound. A stain of dark red blotted the white bandages as Akua wrapped her waist. When she finished, Yosamu was laid across her knees in patience.

One thing Akua yearned for since the death of her mother was solitude. She hoped that secluding herself or sitting alone in the night as she did now would grant her this, but knew that she would never be alone. Someone or something lingered within her mind. At times there was silence, and at others, a whisper. However, this voice was no stranger to her. It was the entity that spat venom in her ears on that onyx night, the one that enticed her into murder and slaughter, the one that she despised with every fiber of her being—that she had left of course. Aside from that nuisance, there were other voices she felt herself hear. These were the voices of the dead, the people whose lives she ended. However, Akua remained indifferent to their attempts to haunt her. Every time she touched her blade she felt their groaning, their aching cries, and the chatter of millions of ancient souls damned for eternity. Those that died by her own hand were the most prominent though. Regardless, it was as if they were on the dark side of a one way mirror.

There was a noticeable pattern in the occurrence of the voices, but the logic fell through when it came to the one voice in which she would do anything to hear again. It drove Akua to the brink of her sanity whenever she thought about it, and it was one of the only things that made her shed tears. She tended not to linger in her thoughts because of this. They had become a toxic wasteland for her.

One of the few ways Akua had discovered to cope with herself was stargazing. The natural beauty and vastness of the night sky made her problems feel like tiniest speck of nothingness in the grand scheme of all that existed in the world, and that was exactly what she needed. There were no stars out during that night as she sat silence, but the looming moon overhead, visible through the canopy of leaves, caught her eye. The leaves danced in a gentle breeze that carried through the area, and she could hear the flutter of wings as nocturnal avians took off.

Among the tranquil sounds of nature, there was one unnatural disturbance. Akua clutched Yosamu's hilt and flashed to her feet to identify and strike.

"Relax," said Mirai. "It's just me."

Akua lowered the weapon.

"Can I join you?"

"You should be asleep," Akua responded, sitting and turning back to the moon. Her knees were partially bent, and her arms were loosely wrapped around them by the link of her hands.

"I could say the same to you, Shrimp," Mirai replied as she crawled out of the tunnel. "I heard you stirring up a couple minutes ago and was wondering if you were okay. Noticed you weren't in bed, so I figured you were out here."

Mirai approached the boulder, climbed on top and sat next to her friend. She crossed her legs and leaned back—onto the support of her arms—to gaze at the moon as well. "What's the matter?"

Akua sighed. "I just…can't sleep."

"Is this your first time experiencing this?"

"No," the Uchiha responded after a pause.

"When's the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

"I don't know…maybe a week or two."

"Th—what? A week?! How are you even…"

Akua let out a faint chuckle. "I ask myself that every day."

Even though she viewed from the side, Mirai examined the portion of Akua's face that she could see. The once vibrant eyes that resembled hues of crystal amethyst no longer sparkled with life. They were a solid, dull purple, unresponsive to light, and bags sank underneath them that Mirai hadn't noticed before. Furthermore, the natural rosy luster in Akua's ivory skin had vanished, even under the gleam of the full moon. Now it was slate pale, almost sickly, and looked coarse to the touch. "I know you're gonna brush this off again, but I think you should see a specialist when we get back home."

"A what? I don't even know what that is…"

Akua's response was genuine. As a child of Genesis, she was bred to be a faceless and deadly fighting machine; not a functional member of society. Therefore, she lacked the useful knowledge of many essential concepts outside of shinobi skills.

"Someone that can help."

"Maybe I deserve to live like this," Akua suggested while pulling her knees closer to her body.

"No," Mirai refused, shaking her head. "Why are you trying to punish yourself?"

"You wouldn't understand. You haven't seen me at my worst. Someone like me—"

"At this rate you're going to die of exhaustion."

Akua's head sunk.

"You told me you wanted to get better right?"

The girl nodded.

"Well this is the first step. Open up and let me help you."

"Why are you so fixated on me like this? I've done nothing but push you away all this time…"

"I do it so you can't deny that there's still someone out there that still cares about you. You're still a kid believe it or not, Shrimp. Barely 13 years. You're not supposed to have all the answers."

Mirai reached her left hand and placed it on Akua's shoulder. "I know you've been through some hard times but… someone's got to take care of you, even if you don't want them to. I'd gladly be that person."

Akua lifted her head to reveal her eyes, finally acknowledging her friend as she spoke. She saw Mirai's palm hooked onto her shoulder, felt its warmth against her cold skin and was ultimately soothed by it all. Her dead gaze softened around the edges. It only revealed a sliver of life, but it was enough to broaden Mirai's smile. "You're too kind," the Uchiha complimented.

"Anything for you!" Mirai claimed, flashing a bright smile.

Although it was hidden behind her arms, Akua's lips curled into their own tiny smile. She also took heed of Mirai's urge to open up. Her knees were released from the rope of her arms and she reverted back to original, cross-legged seating position. Akua's glance at Mirai was only for a split second until she became embarrassed and turned her head away. After a few moments, her eyes fell upon the moon again. "So you think seeing this… specialist will somehow fix me?"

"They can't fix you. Only you can. But at the very least, we can get to the bottom of your sleeping problems."

"What about the rest of me..? And my heart?"

Mirai shifted her left hand down to Akua's chest and pressed it directly over where her heart would be, but still there was emptiness. It broke Mirai's grin to pieces. "…Don't worry, we'll find a way."

Despite Mirai's efforts of comfort, Akua stayed up for the remainder of the night. The two spoke sparsely after the bulk of their conversation. However, Mirai didn't have the same drive to stay awake however and eventually fell asleep atop of the rock. During that time, Akua contemplated what Mirai had said. She was no longer able to hide her condition from her friend and couldn't figure out if her suggestions were the right thing to do. Although Akua couldn't feel it in her chest anymore, she possessed an inkling of fear. The girl didn't want to know what was wrong with her because that meant she had to face it. In her case, ignorance was bliss.

The next few hours saw the moon fade beneath the mask of day. Sunlight bloomed over the horizon, visible through the rays trickling between canopy leaves. Geko was the first to fire out of the passage and catch Akua's attention, notifying her that it was time to leave. He didn't ask why they were both out there already; he tended to mind his own business and keep to himself. The other two were still asleep when Akua and Mirai made their way down to pack, so they too raised no questions. From there it was a beeline to their rendezvous point: the Citadel.

* * *

 **A/N: While writing this chapter I realized I was still nowhere near the bulk of what I wanted to cover, so I've decided to split it in two. The events will continue in chapter 23, titled "** _ **Remedies II**_ " **. Stay tuned to see how Akua attempts to quell her vices. The chapter will be out by the fortnight.**

 **Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed. Sorry for the wait once again.**

 **Fav/Follow/Review!**


	23. Remedies II

**A/N: Hi everyone. I'm back again with another update. This chapter may or may not seem a little fast or slow depending on the type of reader you are, since there's a lot of important dialogue in it. This is a dialogue heavy chapter to set up events further on in the story. A lot of information will be flesh out so keep a keen eye.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Ch 23**

 **Remedies II**

The Seventh Hokage stood behind his desk and faced the window panes that circumferenced his office. Through the crystal clear glass, he watched the sun and its vibrant amber hues finally take shelter beneath the horizon. The entirety of lower Konoha was in his view, and he never got tired of how bright the night was. The city never slept. Endless arrays of neon and fluorescent lights proved that. Gazing out at its brilliant display every evening reminded him of how proud he was of what he and his generation were able to accomplish. A place where people could live without fear, a world in an era of peace. However, the Seventh wasn't naive. He grew up to understand that achieving such peace came at a price: the unfathomable effort it takes to maintain it. He understood the nature of the world and of men. Every once in awhile, there would be one with the goal of disrupting the peace he worked so hard to maintain. Red flags were being raised around a man who was guilty of just that—Jurou Hideyoshi. Conflict was inevitable. All Naruto could do was to ensure that such conflict was contained, and to keep the collateral damage to a minimum.

Naruto's attention was caught by a knock on his door. "Come in," he allowed, turning around to see Sai step into his office.

"Hishiro's squad has returned, Lord Seventh. He's here to provide his report."

"Send him in," Naruto complied as he took a seat.

Upon Sai's nod, a small plume of smoke erupted in the center of the room to reveal the Anbu captain. He appeared in a knelt position with his fist in the floor and his head bowed. "Lord Seventh," Hishiro honored.

"Welcome back my friend! At ease," the Hokage insisted.

Hishiro complied, standing up and relaxing himself.

"Judging from the info we received from the Citadel, I take it your mission proved to be fruitful?"

Hishiro nodded. "Councilman Tokuno Ieyasu is in our custody and is now being incarcerated in the Citadel's prison hold. Evidence discovered at the site links him to Hideyoshi's underground drug ring, and he'll be put on trial in the coming weeks once the case is prepared. We've also received photographic intel on other potential accomplices, courtesy of Agent Kuroshin: Aizu, Iwase, and Nijimo. All three being Grass Country politicians."

"Damnit… that country is ill with corruption, isn't it…" the Hokage deduced.

"Unfortunately so. An investigation of these new suspects is being conducted as we speak. I'm confident that putting these men away will permanently dent Jurou's operation. As a result, his bank account will suffer, and the militarization of Kusagakure will come to a halt."

"Hmm… I commend your efforts, Hishiro, but I'm afraid it won't be that simple, ya know."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"The actions we've taken have resulted in a reduction of their substance distribution," Sai elaborated, "but our intel shows us that there's actually been an increase in Kusagakure militarization, despite what should have been a decrease in profit."

"How can this be?" Hishiro worried.

"Several factors could be at play here," Naruto continued, "my first thought was that his pockets are just that deep, considering he's inherited a two-hundred year dynasty of dirty money. We haven't been able to dig up much about Hideyoshi's family, but we know what Koba told us about them was true, and his wealth has increased exponentially since he came to power."

Naruto rested his elbows on the desk and interlocked his fingers. "My second thought was… perhaps we've been looking at this on too small of a scale. Funjin is a hallucinogenic drug that's been around for quite some time now. Records date it back to before I was even born, and it's being sold under the table all over the continent. Long story short is… we don't know how much influence he has on this. All we can do is continue to crack down on it. I've notified the other members of the Shinobi Union. Eventually we'll come across another lead."

"What about Chiba?" the young captain mentioned.

"I notified the governor some time ago, and he informed me that they were aware of their funjin issue," Sai said. "He just wasn't aware of who was behind it."

"So what you're saying is… we've only scraped the tip of the iceberg?"

"Unfortunately," Naruto answered. "Shikamaru believes the only way to end this swiftly, before more people get hurt, is to infiltrate Kusagakure. However, I'm skeptical on how we should go about that. He and his team have yet to develop a plan of attack, so the elders and I haven't given authorization."

"What's the issue? Our Anbu can get—"

"Kusagakure has become quite the impenetrable stronghold in the past few months. The entire region has been on strict lockdown since the Kojiro Lane incident," interrupted Sai as he approached the wall and pulled down an annotated map of the territory in question. "They have forces occupying land, encompassing an eighty kilometer radius, well beyond the visual prowess of the Hyūga. There's even a barrier half a kilometer outside that range, prohibiting anyone from entering without the proper credentials."

"Couldn't we capture someone who knows the bypass and get it out of them?" Hishiro suggested.

"If only there was one. Those we've captured so far had no knowledge of a bypass. There are hundreds of toll checkpoints and no one is allowed in or out of Kusagakure without a signed mandate, military escort and thorough inspection. This leads us to believe that everyone and everything that passes the barrier alerts it in some way. Furthermore, there are no small, indigenous summoning animals that we can utilize in their region and any attempt to guide an indigenous, mind-transferred animal inside will be detected by the barrier. As of now, there's no way we can infiltrate without launching an army at them."

"We need to be absolutely certain, in the unlikely chance that we do send an invasion force, that we will collect intel on Jurou's exact whereabouts, if not the man himself. Otherwise, many people will die in vain. Konoha will want justice… the Grass might even declare war. We want to stop them before they can."

Hishiro removed his mask and glided fingers through his hair in a sigh. "At this rate they _will_ start a war. Why else would they be loading up… Jurou is out for blood, sir."

"Don't fret," reassured Naruto. "It's not like we haven't made any progress. Even without Kusagakure, we have two new, strong leads right now. Do you recall the weapon you recovered from Ieyasu's estate?"

"Of course. Agent Kuroshin sustained a lower torso injury from what appeared to be some sort of projectile capsule. Treatment at the Citadel was offered but met with plenty resistance, undoubtedly. She demanded to be cleared and return with us."

Naruto leaned back and turned his gaze to the side to look out onto the city again. "She's something else, isn't she? That girl…" he shook his head and chuckled.

"Yea, I actually wanted to talk to you about her as well… her behavior on this recent mission… I don't think she should be involved with Kusagakure anymore."

"Don't worry about her. She needs to do this, for closure. Besides, there's a reason I put Mirai on your squad. She'll keep Akua in check."

"You're confident in that girl's ability?"

The Seventh nodded.

"Very well, I'll trust your judgement, Lord Hokage. You've yet to be wrong," Hishiro smiled. "So, about the weapon. Do we have anymore intel on what it is?"

Naruto pulled up the schematic and analysis sent to him by scientists at the Citadel. "It's a new chakra-tech device resembling a pistol. The ammunition inside it was identical to the metallic bullet that Akua extracted from herself. Further analysis of the bullets suggest that they're capable of harnessing ninjutsu within a single round."

"That's… revolutionary," Hishiro praised.

"And deadly," Naruto added. The grim tone shut down the Anbu captain's astonishment. "It was able to pierce through our carbon-reinforced flak jackets and wound Akua. I'm relieved she was able to survive a direct hit. Any under-armored individual wouldn't have been so lucky."

"W-What was so important about the weapon, sir?" Hishiro asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Nothing of the sort has been found anywhere else in the world, not even the Grass Country. My guess is that it's a prototype from a private company, perhaps in league with Jurou, but we're unaware which."

"No way! Do we have anyone following up on this? I'll get on it right away, sir!"

"No, I've already got a team looking into it. However, I do have a task for you in regards to our second lead."

"Yes, Lord Hokage?" Hishiro bowed.

"Have you heard about the attack on the Suna train near the border of the Wind Country?"

"Eye-witness accounts report the culprit to be a skilled shinobi in dark robes and a black mask. He resembles the assailant my team encountered during the Hōfu mission. This shinobi put two high-ranking, jonin officers from Sunagakure in the ICU. Possible S-rank classification."

"Hmm… you never cease to amaze me," Naruto commended. "Unfortunately, there was another incident that took place within Suna right after the train attack, about ten days ago. The culprit somehow made off with one ton of gold worth 3.5 billion ryō. There have been two other heists since then within the span of three days: One within another Wind Country city, and the other within the Earth Country, each of which have similar suspects."

"Who is this person? How are they able to move around so quickly?"

The Seventh faced Hishiro, withdrew a case file from his drawer, and placed it on the desk. "I don't know, but I want you to take a look into this investigation and confirm whether or not this is the same shinobi from Hōfu. Seeing as how you're one of the only Konoha shinobi to have encountered them, I believe you're best suited to figuring those details out. Now, I'm not authorizing any combat. This is just a task I'm offering to you while your team recuperates. Will you be able to do this?"

"Without a doubt, Lord Hokage. I won't let you down," he declared while accepting the file.

"I know you won't. Your father would be proud," Naruto smiled.

The words took Hishiro by surprise. However, he quickly recoiled and returned the Seventh's kindness with his own smile. "T-Thank you. Thank you very much, sir."

Hishiro bowed again and exited the office after being dismissed.

"Was that really necessary, Lord Seventh?" Sai questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"His father—"

"I know… but that doesn't mean we should change his view of him."

"If you say so," Sai concluded.

* * *

The screen door behind Akua slammed shut as she plodded into her apartment bedroom from the balcony. Her sandals were kicked off and her backpack slid from her shoulder to the ground. The light flickered on automatically as she stepped in, and the Uchiha girl made her way to the bathroom. Taking a shower was routine for her after returning home from a mission. Before beginning, she stopped at the sink and stared into the mirror. Mirai's words ran through her mind upon viewing the discoloration that drooped underneath her eyes. That night was the first time seeing for herself that there was in fact a change in her appearance. Her face twisted in anger and frustration, directed at the turmoil in her mind. Then she sighed, releasing it all. The girl turned and removed her equipment, leaving the new bandage wrapped around her waist for last. Steam lifted into the air from the wound as it finished evaporating from her skin.

Water droplets pelted the crown of Akua's head as she stood underneath the shower nozzle with her chin hung low. Soaking black bangs matted to her forehead and covered her eyes. Much of her body was supported by the left hand pressing forward against the shower wall, and her arm trembled beneath the weight. Even after all the dirt and soap washed away, Akua remained. A fifteen minute shower turned into thirty. The girl's eyes focused toward her feet and watched the water swirl down the drain. It was a soothing image, until deep carmine oozed through the metal grating and filled the shower floor.

Akua's pupils widened and a scream forced its way up her throat. The frightened girl backpedalled through the bloody fluid until she flattened herself against the wall. Her breathing mimicked the startled heartbeat in her chest. The liquid sifted around her ankles now. Akua wanted more than anything to run out, but it felt as though her feet were encased in a block of cement. She clenched her eyes shut in fear of the sight, but when they reopened, the blood ceased to exist.

A look of disbelief painted itself across the young girl's face. The floor was as pearly white as when she first stepped in, and there wasn't a stain of red to be found. The only liquid present was the water that rained from the shower head. It was impossible. Akua was certain of what she saw. Her head throbbed when trying to sort through what was real and what wasn't. Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time Akua's mind misled her. A similar experience occurred a few weeks prior when she attempted to use the kitchen sink. Days went by before she was able to get anywhere near a faucet. It was too much for her to take in.

Akua's breathing began to steady itself as she observed the drain. The girl clenched her eyelids and reopened them. Still white.

Close. Open. Close.

When she opened again, she witnessed the bare feet of another girl standing across from her. As Akua's eyes trailed up the legs and viewed the exposed midriff and arms, the skin revealed to be lacerated, littered with dry blood, and pigmented with scorched tissue. The girl's lavender yukata was singed away, extending no further than her waist and lacked an obi. The pink, floral designs in the fabric were either burned out in patches or blackened. It was as if this person bathed in flames. However, the most shocking part of their appearance was enough to make Akua panic and throw herself out of the shower room, almost breaking through the glass door. She didn't need to see the girl's face after looking at the blood-smeared right hand.

Akua glanced back into the shower, but once again, there was nothing. There were no questions. Shower time concluded.

As Akua snacked on a homemade pork bun, it became clear to her that, in some way, she was ill and in need of treatment. Now the last obstacle of the night approached: sleep. After eating and brushing her teeth, Akua snuck into her own bedroom. Her bathrobe was swapped out with pajamas and she creeped into the sheets without a sound.

The time was several minutes past midnight. Akua laid motionless on her back and stared up at the ceiling. After all her patience, she was able to shut eyes and drift away. However, the girl only experienced a few minutes of peaceful slumber before being forced awake yet again by the terrors of her mind. The mattress rattled underneath Akua's trembling body and the girl curled up underneath the covers. Her eyes were peeled open. If she closed them, she was sure to see it again. Amidst it all was an excruciating pain that throbbed in Akua's skull and the right side of her neck. It made her grind her teeth and strangle the skin of her arms. Going to sleep only amplified that crippling sensation. Rest was her unfortunate enemy. For the entirety of the night, Akua transitioned between periods of restlessness. She tried to collect as many peaceful minutes as she could, but such a task was difficult when the mind was at war with itself. Luckily for her neighbors, the walls were somewhat sound proof.

* * *

When the alarm clock rang, Mirai sprang from beneath the covers. She dragged her legs in and hunched over them with the drowsy face she wore every morning. Her head turned to the clock to read 7 am, but she immediately threw herself back into the mattress upon doing so. The pillow was dragged over her face to muffle screeching groans, but the clock continued. It blared sound into her ear and shook her bedside table for a few minutes before the teenaged girl mustered up enough resolve to turn it off. She did so by slamming her fist into it. There was an awkward silence before she grumbled to herself, "Ohayō ..!" and fell out of bed.

Mirai collected herself on the ground, and after stretching out her limbs, went on with the rest of her day. The first objective was to sort through the mess in her room. She ignored that task when she came home from her first Anbu mission the night before. The slumber she earned was a blessing since she had not received much, but it was all for a good cause. This morning, she would continue her selfless deeds for someone she held dear.

After brushing her teeth, washing her face and taking a shower, Mirai made her way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. "You're up earlier than usual," she heard. Mirai turned around from the pan on the stove to see her mother, Kurenai, stepping into the kitchen. "Another mission?"

"No, but I am goin' out though," the girl responded. She returned to the vegetables she was stir frying.

"Is it Akua?"

"How'd you know?"

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but you worry about her outloud, all the time," Kurenai laughed.

"Stop it, mom! She's like my little sister."

Mirai tossed and caught the diced vegetables. Kurenai stepped around the table and peeked into the cackling pan over her daughter's shoulder. "I think that's a little too much for the both of us…even for your appetite!"

"It's not for us alone. Knowing Shrimp, she probably forgot to make herself breakfast."

Mirai turned the stove down and retrieved the cutting board and a knife. "Could you get the tuna from the fridge?"

"You're really going all out huh?" Kurenai commented as she opened up the fridge and delivered the fish. "This is very kind of you, Mirai. Your father would be proud."

Mirai froze and blushed for a moment. She hid her embarrassment from her mother and finished up the meal, but not without a smile on her face.

After packing the breakfast into bento containers, Mirai threw on her autumn coat and ran out the door. As she left, it struck that she'd forgotten the most important part of her morning rituals. Mirai backtracked through the dining room and travelled to her father's home memorial. She took a seat facing the picture of Asuma Sarutobi and pressed her hands together in prayer. "I'm heading out now, Dad," she whispered while shutting her eyes and lowering her head. "Watch over me!"

With that, Mirai was finally able to leave and hop on the next train to Shibuya.

Mirai arrived at Grand Park, Akua's apartment complex, at around 8:30 am. She waved to the receptionist at the front desk, whom recognized and let her through the elevator. The lift was spent checking her belongings, making sure everything was as she had placed it in her back, then waiting. It was a wait that seemed like forever, as if there was an hour between each increase in floor. Alas, she arrived at the 14th. When she exited the elevator, Mirai remember how unique the architecture of the building was. In the center was open space that extend from the lobby to the roof but closed off at each end by giant, glass panes. Surrounding the glass ceiling that separated the lobby was an intricate, well-kempt garden with various species shrubbery and flora. Each floor and room above it were built around the rectangular opening, guarded by glass barriers and steel rails. The view from Akua's floor was nothing less than extraordinary.

The apartment Mirai was looking for resided at the end of the hall, labeled 14-21. As she approached, there was a heavy thud that halted her. The noise came from the direction of Akua's abode, but then there was silence. Mirai approached the room with caution now and stood just outside the door. "Shrimp?" she knocked. It drifted open, already unlocked or perhaps never locked at all. The thuds rang in Mirai's ear again, along with the sounds of struggle emerging from within. The Sarutobi girl slipped through the opening, locked the door and was encompassed by the darkness of Akua's hall. Dim light rained in farther down towards the living room but that was all. There were various sandals at the door, all the same size, but no Anbu footwear. It made Mirai question whether or not Akua was home until the thud hammered again. It came from around the corner. "Shrimp?" she called again.

"W-Who is that..?" a fragmented voiced managed to ask.

"It's me… Mirai?" she answered, standing just outside the bathroom.

"D-Don't come in…" Akua's voice trickled through a crack in the doorframe.

Mirai disobeyed the request out of concern for her friend's well being.

* * *

Several minutes prior to Mirai's arrival, Akua tossed and turned in her bed. Goosebumps puckered out of her skin and she shivered underneath them. Brisk hisses slipped through her chattering teeth. The girl had her eyes clenched as if not to let any more heat out. Something was throwing off her internal thermostat. Even her bedroom felt well below the standard room temperature. Akua tried her best to fight through it, but when the numbness in her upper right shoulder eased in, she froze with shock. Her chest felt emptier than usual. Then there was pain, something gnawing at her insides, tearing at the muscles in her right arm and neck. It was happening again. The next second saw Akua launch herself from the sheets and bolt out of her room door.

 _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

Akua cut around the small dining table, flew across the center of the living room, and slammed herself into the floor of the hall. The thud echoed through the concrete. The Uchiha girl scraped herself up and trudged towards the bathroom, clutching her right arm. Akua slammed the shōji door against the wall and collapsed against the sink. Looking up to the appearance in the mirror horrified her. Intricate, veiny patterns surfaced again, inked with the usual black hue. They originated from the shoulder and spread to the right side her face. Consequently, the skin of the afflicted areas darkened to a sooty tone. The entirety of Akua's sclera inked itself, with some of the blood vessels still visible, and the outbreak forced her Sharingan to activate.

The girl swallowed massive breaths in an attempt to keep calm, but resisting the urges of the serum proved difficult. Akua slammed her fist against the counter and growled through her teeth as she winced. The episode was sure to vanish if she was alone, absent of any influences. However, when Mirai's voice was heard, she panicked. There was no way Akua was going to take that chance of losing her friend if she herself lost control. The aching girl returned her friend's calls with warnings that ultimately fell through. Mirai was too concerned. She was going to see…this.

A mask of turmoil etched itself into Akua's face. Her last resort resided in the medicine cabinet. Therein was an unlabelled bottle with a single golden tablet. Her last dose. The top was popped open and the pill swallowed. As it fought its way down her esophagus, Akua felt its effect beginning to take place. Instead of the numb and chilled sensation, she felt warmth. The darkened skin vanished in gradual blotches, revealing the still sickly-pale tone she originally possessed. However the black veins took their time with recession.

"Shrimp? What the heck is going on?" Akua heard. The familiar voice startled her.

"Don't look at—" the young girl hit the floor before she could finish, dragging the medicine bottle with her. Mirai panicked in misinterpretation of the mysterious container. "Akua! What did you just take?!"

The older girl rushed into the bathroom and fell to her knees by Akua's side. Mirai hesitated to touch the black veined skin at first, but soon disregarded any lingering fears and pulled her friend into her lap. "Wake up!" she demanded, tapping Akua's face. It didn't seem like the Uchiha was breathing. "What was in the fucking bottle?!"

Akua gasped to life.

"Oh my god!" Mirai freaked.

"W-Why didn't you… listen. You could have d—"

"You didn't take anything bad, did you?!"

Akua coughed and sat herself up. "It was a suppressant."

Mirai noticed the girl turning her right side away so that she couldn't see, but the stubborn Sarutobi girl insisted. She took Akua by the chin and turned her trembling face towards her own. It was the first time witnessing the serum's effects on her friend's body, and the first in-person experience of Akua's Mangekyō Sharingan. Mesmerization was all she could fathom. Despite one sclera being blacked out, Mirai's attention was brought directly to the iris. The black tomoe design was curved but sharp at its three ends. The iris fluctuated with the interlaced hue of crimsons, garnets, carmines, scarlets, and from the bloody red eyes came an intoxicated radiation of light. Mirai was speechless, caught with her mouth open in the middle of her anxiety. "They're beautiful."

"They're ugly," Akua corrected.

"I-I'm sorry…" Mirai backtracked, unaware of the boundaries she may have crossed.

"They're proof," the Uchiha added, looking away and shutting her eyes.

"Proof?"

"Proof that I destroyed everything I had. They're not beautiful. They're ugly and I hate them."

Akua stood up and leaned over the sink again, getting ready to hurl something up from her stomach. Mirai collected herself, stepped back to give her space, pondered on what to say next. "Hungry?" she asked, lifting the wrapped boxes.

Akua let out a series of hacking coughs and spit up an eerie black fluid with the texture of blood. The stopper sealed the drain and let the substance sit in the basin. The Uchiha proceeded to set fire to it with her chakra and watched the afflicted cells die before turning to Mirai and sighing. "You brought me something?"

* * *

After Akua's skin cleared up, the two girls made their way to the living area in hopes of enjoying the meal Mirai prepared for them both. The younger girl sat at the counter in front of her kitchen while the older brewed green tea. However, there wasn't a sound between them but the boiling leaves and their breathing. Akua noticed how awkward Mirai was standing and watching the pot. She knew her friend was curious to ask questions, but at the same time afraid to step on her toes again. "I apologize," the Uchiha finally said, "for you to have to see me like…that."

With her back turned, Mirai put her head down.

"I'll answer any questions you may have. Truthfully."

The Sarutobi turned around with a crazed look in her two-toned red eyes. "What was up with your skin?! And suppressant? Suppressant for what? Are you sick?"

Akua stopped in the middle of lifting a piece of tuna into her mouth, surprised that Mirai would take up the opportunity given to her without restraint. She blinked a few times at the awaiting girl in front of her before putting her chopsticks down. "Well," Akua sighed. "I'm…not necessarily sick, but I'm not well."

Mirai bent over, rested her elbows on the counter and placed her face between her palms. She tilted her head to the side, genuinely interested in what Akua had to say.

"Two years ago, when I was still in Kusagakure, I was injected with some sort of… prototype chakra serum. It was an experimental project funded by the government in an attempt to create super-shinobi. However, my mother put a wedge in it. She stole their notes, destroyed their research and ran off with their only sample of what was originally Black Zetsu."

Akua took a deep breath and continued. "Whatever use to be Black Zetsu has been reverse engineered somehow… it calls itself Black Heart now. And it's in my head."

"Do you mean…you hear voices?"

"Sometimes. This thing is like a cancer. It's slowly eating away at my being. Sometimes I can't even think straight. Sometimes it tries to take over like you just saw. If that happens… there'll be death. Usually if I'm alone I can resist it, but if people come around like you did I could lose it."

"But you didn't—the suppressant!"

Akua nodded. "My mother was trying to devise some way to cure me before she…"—Akua choked up and restarted—"…she developed a way to impede the growth rate with special tablets, which also allowed me to resist its effects completely for a week or two. I haven't taken a pill since—before Kojiro. Unfortunately that was my last one… and I don't know how to make anymore. I was trying to save them…so instead…"

"But you've been going on missions with people since then… how did you manage to overcome the serum without the use of tablets?"

"By killing."

"What..?" Mirai didn't follow her words.

"It's hard to see underneath my gear since it's all black, and my mask hides what's on my face. But it happens. And when it does, I kill people. Targets of the mission…henchmen…any who stand in my way, I spare no one. It satisfies the urges I get so I don't hurt anyone else. Keeps me sane. Hishiro gets upset but… he wouldn't understand."

"By the Seventh… are you serious?" Mirai straightened herself up.

"Disgusting isn't it?" Akua chucked. "I'm a bloody murderer, and I can't help it."

The Uchiha watched Mirai fold her arms and lower her head as if in disappointment. However, she wasn't expecting her friend to lift her head and smile. "What are you doing? Doesn't that bother you at all?"

"Well, yes it does. But it isn't going to deter me," Mirai said as she walked around the counter with her breakfast and sat next to the young Uchiha. "I've grown to learn that even in times of relative peace and comfort, the world is still shitty and unfair. Sometimes you do things you wouldn't normally do because of it."

Mirai opened the meal and took a few bites before continuing. "Through it all, I think you're still a good person, and that there's still hope for you."

"Wish I could say the same about myself," Akua replied.

"Come on," nudged Mirai. "You said you have about two weeks tops before another outbreak right? We've just gotta cook up some more medicine for you. We can use your mom's research and have someone here continue it!"

"It isn't that simple," Akua said with a lingering thought in the back of her mind.

"Why not? Don't you remember where we can find it?"

"Her lab is located within one of Orochimaru's hideouts. I don't know the exact location, nor do I recall his chakra signature. Either way, I've been trying to avoid him as much as possible. My mother always told me to be weary of him, and I don't exactly expect him to help me."

There was a pause as they both took bites to eat before Mirai lit up with another idea. "We could ask the Seventh! I'm sure he knows how to—"

"No, I can't be around the Seventh."

"What? Why not?"

"I tend to avoid him as much as possible because I'd rather not have him bring up his son again. Visiting him increases the likelihood that he will do that as well as the chance I'll run into…"

"Boruto," Mirai inserted.

"Yes," Akua sighed, "…Boruto."

"Has it really gotten that bad between you two?" Mirai frowned.

Akua made no comment.

"…Alright…we can deal with that another time. Taking care of yourself first is more important but…hmm, without the research notes…agh! This is difficult!"

The kettle on the stove whistled from the tiny opening near its helm. Mirai shifted herself to go and tend to it, but Akua tugged her back. They shared a glance for a moment before the Uchiha stood and made her way towards the kettle. "You've done so much for me already, the least I can do is handle the tea," she reasoned.

Akua returned with two steaming cups and placed Mirai's down with care before sliding around the counter to find her seat. She watched as the Sarutobi took the first sip. "Is it good?"

"Heh, not too bad, Shrimp," she said before taking another.

Akua responded with a tiny smile. She held her cup with both hands and sipped for herself. The tea became a catalyst of warmth as it travelled to her stomach and melted the ice that chilled her aching bones.

"Cmon," Mirai insisted after plopping an empty cup on the counter. "We've got time to figure out the serum situation, right now we gotta get you to your appointment."

"Where are we going?"

"A family friend, don't worry!"

* * *

The pair of kunoichi arrived after a fifteen minute train ride to their destination on the edge of the Rasen district. It was a walled but public property with a stout, three storied building that sat inside it. It had bold kanji on the wall that read Rasen Medical Clinic. Inside was a straight hallway that ended with the elevator. Each floor had four doors, and every door was an entrance to a separate medical practice. The practice Mirai and Akua were looking for was the pediatric facility on the first floor. They entered and sat in a small, square waiting room after checking in. Across from the main entrance was the door which proceeded further into the clinic. This was where the nurses emerged from when signalling the next patient. The girls bided their time by reading various magazines and watching the TV that existed there until the nurse called, "Uchiha Akua?"

The girl in question stood up. The nurse was a young, brunette woman with a round face and thick glasses. She held a clipboard to her chest and on it, checked off Akua's name.

"Come with me," the woman said, falling back into the treatment wing.

Akua followed her while Mirai stayed behind to make a phone call. The Uchiha girl was led to a smaller room and instructed to wait until the physician arrived. For the few minutes she was alone, she sat upright and fiddled with her fingers. Aside from the chair she sat in, there was a raised bed on one side of the room with her. On the other side was a counter with a sink, a scale for infants, and a height/weight scale for older patients. There were posters of children on the wall, some of which were babies being held in the arms of their parents or kids running around with their friends. The most prominent one was a poster which displayed the backs of a father and his young daughter holding hands as they walked. She couldn't help but to stare at it because she couldn't understand it. As she sat alone with herself to ponder, that lack of understanding lead to jealousy. That little girl had something that she didn't. Jealousy lead to the clenching of her fists and the twitching of muscles. A familiar voice in her head taunted her, made fun of her angst and sorrow. Just as the stress seeped in, the door opened and snapped Akua out of the trance. In walked a woman wearing a purple dress, hidden beneath a white lab coat. She possessed waist-length, platinum blonde hair tied into a ponytail with bangs that shrouded the right side of her face. Cyan blue irides that sparkled in the light defined her eyes. Her skin was fair and flawless, void of any blemishes, with facial features that left the Uchiha girl in awe. "Akua? Uchiha Akua?"

"Y-Yes," the girl nodded.

"Oh my god," the woman shrieked, hopping into the room to shake her hand. "It's so good to finally meet you!"

"You were looking forward to me..?"

"Why, of course! Your father and I use to be—"

Akua's sulking at the mention of her father became rather apparent and forced the woman to stop.

"Oh… well, my name is Ino Yamanaka, and I'll be your medical-nin pediatrician."

Ino pulled up a seat and rolled herself closer. Resting on her thighs was a laptop that she brought in with her to take notes. She first went through the normal routine for new patients, asking for their date of birth, family health history, personal hygiene habits, all of which Akua answered to the best of her ability. After standing up to take Akua's height and weight, Ino sat back down to the bulk of the visit. "What brings you here today?"

The girl sighed, "Mirai brought me here. I've been having sleeping issues for weeks now."

"Ah, so persistent periods of insomnia..?"

"Yea sure…"

Ino's fingers went to work, and her lips mouthed out pieces of what she wrote down. "Can you tell me a little more? Do you have trouble going to sleep in the first place or is it more an issue of staying asleep?"

"It's a little bit of both. Some nights when I try to sleep… I lay down and stare at the ceiling for hours. Sometimes I'll sleep for a few minutes, but I always scream myself awake."

"Screaming?" Ino repeated, halting from the keyboard. "Is this due to a nightmare, perhaps?"

Akua nodded.

"I see," Ino said, continuing her note taking, "so this more of a cognitive problem…and you're positive nothing else is causing this such as irregular sleeping positions, drugs substances or alcohol?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Hmm…and is this a recurrent nightmare?"

"Yes, it's the same one every night I try to sleep," Akua explained as she scratched her arm.

Ino was beginning to pick up on certain signs. She realized now why Mirai specifically requested her to treat the girl. "Is this nightmare tied to a specific event?"

The Uchiha diverted her gaze when that question was encroached upon. It pained her to think about the trauma again. Ino on the other hand rerouted her approach.

"Have you displayed any other unusual behaviors aside from inability to sleep?"

"What do you mean by that..?" Akua raised an eyebrow.

"Chronic insomnia in your case is usually a symptom of another overarching issue or condition. Have you recently experienced any episodes of prolonged sadness or emptiness, maybe felt inadequate with yourself? Changes in behavior or appearance?"

Akua hesitated to nod. Everything the woman mentioned seemed to shoot another bullet into her chest. "N-No I haven't," she lied.

"Are you being honest?" Ino could sense the fluctuations in her chakra. "I need you to be if I'm going to provide you with the best treatment."

Akua looked into her lap and frowned before refocusing her gaze on the pediatrician. "Yes."

"Which out of the few I mentioned?"

"All of them."

Ino nodded, went back to typing for a minute and then stopped. "Before we continue, I want tell you a little more about myself and how I think we should go from here."

"Go on," Akua complied.

"Based on the information I've collected so far, I can tell that your problems are centered around some recent, traumatic experience and the only way that you'll recover is if you overcome it. For decades my clan was renowned for their exceptional telepathic ninjutsu abilities, however in recent years, we've become prominent in the field of therapy. That being said, my skill in both areas leaves me qualified as a psychologist and psychiatrist. Would you allow me to recommend these services to you, Akua?"

"Therapy..?"

"It will entail several procedures, mostly psychoanalysis and other cognitive treatments. We'll be alone unless indicated by you otherwise, but you'll have to dedicate yourself to showing up to our scheduled appointments. As a friend of Mirai, this will be free of charge."

"And you're certain this will help me?"

"Positive. Wouldn't bring it up if I didn't believe so."

"Then I'm on board…when do we start?"

"I have a few more patients today, so the earliest would be tomorrow morning. Is that alright with you?"

"…Alright. What now?"

"I'd like to continue this visit with a regular physical just to make sure you're healthy otherwise," Ino requested after finishing her notes and shutting her laptop. "Just sit on top of the bed there, I'll be right back."

Akua did as she was told and hoisted herself up to the bed. Ino returned a few minutes later with a clipboard, her stethoscope, and a blood pressure monitor. Everything was placed on the counter and sanitizer was applied to the pediatrician's hands. "I'm going to check your body for unusual marks or growth. Do you mind removing your shirt?"

After a bit of reluctance, Akua complied. Ino began the inspection by checking the girl's thyroids. Her chest was examined for any lumps and her abdomen kneaded to determine texture, location, and consistency of internal organs. The area where Akua was wounded on her previous mission was given close attention, due to it recently being added to her medical record. There was astonishment in Ino's expression at the sight of neither marks nor scars after such a short period of time. There was nothing out of the ordinary, of course until she viewed the girl's posterior side. Positioned on the back-right side of Akua's neck, just above the shoulder blade, was a spot of black pigment. A tiny, vein like pattern branched out only an inch from the origin, and its texture differed from the rest of the girl's skin. Akua winced and shoved Ino away with a shrug of her shoulder when the woman touched it. "Akua… this isn't normal. Were you aware of this?"

She didn't respond. Ino took note and concluded the external evaluation. Next on the list was to examine the interior, but Akua grew anxious when Ino reached for the stethoscope. "Are you alright?" the woman worried. "I'm just going to listen to your internal organs."

The Uchiha girl gulped down when the device's chestpiece drew near. Ino pressed against her lungs first. She listened to the passage of air as Akua breathed and detected no irregularities. Unfortunately, the next organ was the heart. Ino pressed once again over the location of the heart from the front. No immediate sound. She waited another moment. Nothing. Worry began to set in. Ino switched from front to back, pressing right underneath the left shoulder blade. Nothing. The only thing her ear detected were the echos of bodily function passing through a hollow cavern. "Akua… what's going on? Where is your heartbeat?"

"I-I don't know…" sniffed the young girl.

"H-How long… have you been living like this..?"

"A f-few months…"

"A few mon— oh dear, oh dear… no no… maybe it's the device," Ino fretted. "Let's use the BP-Monitor..!"

The harness was strapped around Akua's straightened arm and inflated with air. Beeping emitted from the machine as it reached max capacity and clocked the girl's systolic pressure. Ino stared in disbelieve again. The diastolic pressure clocked and beeped, signalling the harness to deflate. "T-That's impossible… 54/54..? There's no…"

"It wasn't the device, ma'am…" Akua muttered.

"Ok this ridiculous… we need to conduct an MRI. Come with me."

Akua was rushed out of the pediatric center, past a confused Mirai, by Ino and two other nurses upstairs to the radiology office. The Uchiha was given emergency, life threatening priority and escorted into the nearest, vacant imaging room. Ino operated with urgency, but was also calm enough to not force her into panic. Akua eventually found herself declined onto a cushioned table, surrounded by the walls of a cylindrical machine. Her ears were bombarded with jackhammer beeping noises while crimson rays mapped the symmetry of her body as a guide in order to develop the accurate, cross-sectional images Ino required. As a result, the woman discovered more than she bargained for.

* * *

Akua exited the Rasen clinic along with Mirai a few hours after she initially entered, which summed up a visit longer that she ever expected it to be. All she had to show for it was a bandage in the bend of her arm from blood sample extraction, and a report that acted as a laundry list of all the things that were physically wrong with her. As depressing as it may have been to examine, Ino insisted that she take it with her under the rational that Akua deserved to be aware of her body. However, Mirai was the one that ended up carrying it as they travelled. For the Sarutobi, the information was devastating, evident by the anguish she displayed. Akua on the other hand glanced it over and never looked at it again. She walked ahead with her back to her friend for the entire trip to the train station.

On the train, there was absolute silence between them even though Mirai had finished reading through the documents. She didn't know how to start the conversation, and Akua was content with ignoring it as she always did. It took Mirai the entire ride and until there were at Akua's from door for her to at last say, "…I called Reiko."

The Uchiha was in the middle of swiping her keycard. "Reiko…why..?"

"Well I was trying to figure out how to get to Orochimaru and I sorta just called to update her," she responded as they entered the apartment. "Turns out she's well acquainted with a guy named Kabuto Yakushi, and Kabuto used to be a subordinate to Orochimaru!"

Mirai was last to enter and shut the door behind them. They removed their shoes, turned on the lights and headed through the hall. The Sarutobi continued, "Aren't you excited? We can continue your cure!"

"Yea, I guess."

Mirai huffed. "Reiko said she'd be—"

An object hit the floor, emitting a sound as if it had shattered into a million pieces just before the two girls entered the living room. It forced them through the doorway to see glass shards all over the tiling near the kitchen. Standing next to it with a plate in one hand and a grilled cheese sandwich between her teeth was a blue-eyed, silver haired girl.

"—here soon," Mirai finished.

"O…hey guys..!" Reiko mumbled.

* * *

 **A/N: That concludes this chapter, and there'll be plenty more where that came from! An interesting confrontation awaits in the next chapter, and no, it isn't the girls visiting Orochimaru..! Stay tuned.**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Fav/Follow/Review**


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